
For young workers, For the Future
Today, on this International Youth Day, I am going to share with you my personal experience which happens to the majority of young people today — those trying to build a career while only being offered contract work. A contractor’s life can be very exciting at times. With a start and end date, contract work allows one to go off on vacation and the chance to find new contracts upon one’s return. I enjoyed this lifestyle for four years. But there is a definite down side.
I graduated from college at the age of 21 and started “gaining experience” through companies offering contracts. At first, I thought this was great, because I believed it was the way to go. I realized this was not the case once I got a permanent job.
I learned about sick leave, paid leave and various types of benefits of which I was previously unaware. I was surprised but was told that this was normal; that all workers should be entitled to such benefits. I was able to start making long-term plans. Before this, the phrase ‘long-term’ did not exist in my vocabulary. Frankly, within my circle of friends, only two or three out of ten people had a permanent job before the age of thirty. Of three professionals, only one is protected by a union.
The majority of young workers know that many workers have lots of experience. We want the chance to learn. We want to continue the good work of recent years and to bring forth new ideas. If we apply for a position in your place of employment, it is because we respect the company and we are excited about the thought of joining the team. We would like to be part of a team where the atmosphere is welcoming and open. Of course, this would be in an ideal world. I am now part of a wonderful team who accept me and teach me every day about human rights or workers rights. Most of my generation are not so lucky. My new colleagues made me realize that contract life is very stressful and that young people deserve better working conditions.
Despite the myth that young people don’t want to work, the reality is we mostly want to show what we have to offer. We have new ideas and different life experiences. We want to be heard. I speak today on behalf of myself, my peers and those young people who want the chance to work and get things done.