Trudeau Is Determined To Get All Workers 10 Days Of Paid Sick Leave Per Year

In an announcement on Monday, the prime minister spoke out about paid sick leave in Canada. Noting that he had been talking about the issue with NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, Trudeau confirmed that discussions with all provinces were now ongoing. He explained that he'll move to ensure that every worker who needs it will have ten days of paid sick leave.

Speaking during his daily COVID-19 address on May 25, the prime minister revealed that talks were already in place to implement the measure across Canada.

He began by saying, “Every day, in every part of the country, hard-working Canadians build prosperity and growth in their communities.”

“To come out of this crisis, our country needs workers, people like you, more than ever,” Trudeau continued.

The PM went on to explain that he had recently spoken with NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, who has been pushing for paid sick leave since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Nobody should have to choose between taking a day off work due to illness, and being able to pay their bills.”

For this reason, Trudeau said, the federal government would be working towards ensuring that every Canadian worker is entitled to ten paid sick days every year.

“The government will continue discussions with the provinces without delay on ensuring that, as we enter the recovery phase of the pandemic, every worker in Canada who needs it has access to ten days of paid sick leave a year.”

He added that the Liberals would be considering “other mechanisms” in the long term aiming to support workers who become unwell.

The move was largely led by Jagmeet Singh, the NDP confirmed in a statement, as he "made his support for how the House of Commons resumes dependent on introducing two weeks of paid sick leave for all Canadians."

In a tweet just minutes before the prime minister’s announcement, Singh wrote, “No one should have to make the impossible choice between going to work sick and not being able to pay their bills.”

“If we want people to get tested and stay home when sick, we need paid sick leave. It WILL save lives,” he concluded.

Additional details about the measure are yet to be confirmed. 

"We will keep pushing the government to make sure they deliver on this commitment and that they work with provinces to make sick leave for workers permanent going forward," Singh concluded on Monday.