Labour Day Statement

September 1st, 2025

Support Labour Militancy!

Revolutionary greetings to all working people from the Central Executive Committee of the Popular Democracy Movement on the occasion of Labour Day, 2025!

Labour Day in Canada originated from the 1872 Toronto printers' strike, which successfully campaigned for a 9-hour workday and led to the decriminalisation of unions. We honour that memory as we salute the ongoing struggle by the working class and labour movement for their rights and their livelihoods.

Less than two weeks ago, CUPE members in their ongoing dispute with Air Canada made the bold and militant decision to continue their strike action in the face of a back-to-work order from the government of Canada, in its latest use of Section 107 of the Labour Code to once again undermine the rights of workers to fight for better wages and living standards. Within an hour of this decision, and amidst shock from the corporate executives at Air Canada, the company caved and an agreement was reached to end the strike action. This victory for working people demonstrated two things: firstly, that Air Canada had no intention of negotiating with CUPE, which was instead relying on the Canadian government to put an end to the strike; and second, that a steadfast and resolute labour movement can strike, can defy anti-labour legislation, and can win.

More recently, on August 29th, 92.7% of the 86% of BCGEU members who cast a ballot voted in favour of strike action, demonstrating an inspiring degree of unity amongst the union’s ranks. The Central Executive Committee of the PDM expresses its full solidarity with striking workers and its hope for another victory in the face of the Liberal government's repeated attacks on labour in recent months and years.

Clearly, the labour movement has a vital role to play in the fight for increased standards of living and for building a more democratic society in opposition to corporate greed and capitalist exploitation of working class people. This Labour Day, we call on workers in Canada to lend their utmost support to union members on the picket lines, and on the Canadian government to scrap section 107 of the Labour Code. If corporate industries like Air Canada are too important to allow workers to strike, then they are too important to leave in private hands, and should be nationalised and under public and democratic control in order to provide public services, not profits for the mega-rich.

Central Executive Committee

Popular Democracy Movement