Mr. Speaker, according to a formal study by the Canadian Labour Congress, made public just a few weeks ago, employment insurance was costing claimants and the local economy in Drummondville $21.3 million per year.
Michel Dupont, FTQ regional representative commented:
It is all the more unacceptable since, of the $40 billion in the employment insurance fund, 64% came from workers earning $20,000 or less annually in 1999. This surplus will reach $45 billion at the end of 2003. These people are contributing to the fund but they will never be eligible for benefits under the current criteria.
Women are the most severely penalized. In 1990, 76% of unemployed women in Quebec were entitled to benefits; today, only 39% are.
When will a self-sustaining employment insurance fund be created, as we have been demanding for so long?