Feds push new French rights for workers outside Quebec
· Toronto Sun
See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source
Visit h-doctor.club for more information.
OTTAWA — Federally regulated industries located outside of Quebec may soon be forced to give equal footing to French, according to draft regulations made public late last week.
According to the draft regulations published July 18 in the Canada Gazette , the proposal aims to restore the use of Canada’s other official language outside of traditionally French-speaking areas.
“The decline of French in Canada is cause for concern,” read the summary of the regulation’s impact analysis.
“The proposed regulations would foster the use of French and advance the equality of status and use of French in Canadian society. For consumers, these regulations would guarantee the right to communications and services in French from federally regulated private businesses (FRPBs) in Quebec and in regions with a strong Francophone presence (RSFPs.)”
Banks, railways, grain elevators all examples of impacted businesses
Examples of federally-regulated private businesses include banks, telecommunications and internet companies including Bell, Rogers, Telus and Cogeco, transportation companies such as railways, airlines, trucking firms and shipping companies, agricultural facilities such as grain elevators and seed cleaners, and courier services.
Employees of such businesses, the regulations stated, would “guarantee the right to work in French” — and would apply to areas with a strong presence of Francophones, including the entirety of New Brunswick, certain areas of Ontario and Nova Scotia, as well as parts of Winnipeg and Edmonton.
“Consumers and employees in FRPBs will have access to remedies to assert their language rights,” the regulations explained.
RECOMMENDED VIDEO
“They will be able to file complaints with the Commissioner of Official Languages for Canada, who will oversee the handling of those complaints. Complex language-of-work complaints may be referred to the Canada Industrial Relations Board under certain conditions.”
While these proposed regulations are just that — a proposal — targeted start dates include 2027 for Quebec, and 2029 for other regions with large Francophone populations.