Minister Responsible for Labour Carolyn Bertram recently returned from a Ministerial Council Meeting where Canada, the United States and Mexico reaffirmed their commitment to the North American Agreement on Labour Cooperation (NAALC), as an important tool for protecting basic labour rights.
The North American Agreement on Labour Cooperation is one of the supplementary accords to the North America Free Trade Agreement. It was signed by the Presidents of Mexico and the United States, and the Prime Minister of Canada, and sets out the framework where the three countries can share best practices in the field of labour law, and ensure the application of existing legislation to protect workers' rights.
Minister Bertram was invited to attend the conference by the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Labour and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec.
“I was honoured to join the officials from Canada, the United States and Mexico and participate in discussions on topics such as expanding youth employment, improving safety and protecting freedom of association,” said Minister Bertram.
Also in attendance were the Honourable Elaine L. Chao, US Secretary of Labour; the Honourable Javier Lozano Alarcón, Secretary of Labour and Social Welfare of Mexico; his Excellency Emilio Rafael Jose Goicoechea Luna, Ambassador of Mexico; his Excellency David Horton Wilkins, Ambassador of the United States, and their respective delegations.