National Employment Equity Council Urges Alberta to Drop Bill 33 Restrictions
News related to:National Employment Equity Council · 1 min read
OTTAWA, Ontario, Nov. 04, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- The National Employment Equity Council (NEC), Amnesty International Canada, and several Alberta parliamentarians have joined forces to urge the provincial government to withdraw provisions in Bill 33 that would restrict employment equity measures in public institutions and limit mandatory workplace training on bias and inclusion. The call comes as the Alberta government faces criticism for its proposed rollback on these key policies.
Released in 2022, Alberta’s Anti-Racism Action Plan recognized the need to address barriers faced by Indigenous Peoples, Black and other racialized communities, women, and persons with disabilities. The plan committed to mandatory unconscious-bias training for government staff involved in hiring, recruitment strategies to increase representation of underrepresented groups, and examining racial disparities in hiring, wages, and occupational outcomes.
However, the NEC and Amnesty International Canada argue that these proposed restrictions in Bill 33 raise serious Charter equality concerns.
The province’s Human Rights Commission continues to receive complaints concerning discrimination at work. In 2024-25, employment practices accounted for 78 per cent of the areas cited in newly opened complaints. Physical disability, mental disability, gender, and race/colour were the most frequently cited grounds across complaints.
The NEC and Amnesty International Canada are calling on the Alberta government to withdraw Bill 33’s proposed restrictions on employment equity measures in hiring and promotion and mandatory equity-related workplace training. They also urge the federal government to table legislation to modernize the Employment Equity Act and implement the 187 recommendations of the 2023 Employment Equity Act Review Task Force.
The National Employment Equity Council is a national body that brings together unions, civil society organizations, academic institutions, human rights organizations, and community leaders to advance, monitor, and protect employment equity in Canada. Amnesty International Canada is part of a global movement of over 10 million people in more than 170 countries working together to protect and promote human rights.