LABOUR DAY MESSAGE

Labour Minister Joanne Crofford today issued the following Labour Day message:



"This first Labour Day of the new century offers us an opportunity to celebrate

the many accomplishments that working people have achieved in the past one

hundred years. The basic rights and benefits we now take for granted were, in

many cases, the result of years of struggle. We all benefit from these

accomplishments in the areas of wages, hours of work, and occupational health

and safety to name just a few, yet we don't always remember the work that went

into their development. This Labour Day, in particular, is an appropriate time

for us to reflect on the strides that have been made and to extend our thanks

to the men and women whose efforts made them possible.



"The working environment has gone through many changes over the past 100

years. We can all be proud of the way our province has met the challenge of

change. We have been a leader in a number of areas, including occupational

health and safety and the international elimination of the worst forms of child

labour. And, there are more Saskatchewan people working now than at any time in

our history.



"The new century brings new challenges and new opportunities. The world in

which we live and work is changing rapidly, bringing with it the challenges of

globalization and new technology. The way we work is also changing, requiring

us to find ways to balance our responsibilities at work and our personal

lives. Demographics are changing as well, as the "baby boomers" grow older and

the next generation of workers brings fresh energy and new ideas to the

workplace. I am confident that we will continue the Saskatchewan tradition of

meeting challenges head-on. As we have so often done in the past, I am

confident as well that we will use the opportunities presented by these

challenges for discovery and innovation that have broad benefits for our

province.



On behalf of the Government of Saskatchewan, I am pleased to extend Labour Day

greetings to all working people, past and present, in Saskatchewan and across

Canada, and to commend and thank them for their contributions to building our

province and our nation."



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For more information, contact:

Carol Todd

Saskatchewan Labour

Regina: (306) 787-4156



Visit the Saskatchewan Labour website: www.labour.gov.sk.ca