Syeda Yesmin is fed up working 60 hours a week at her three part-time minimum wage jobs just to scrape by for the past 10 years.

“I want a Canada standard of living. I didn’t come to Canada to live in poverty and have no time with my family,” Yesmin said.

“Government action is needed.”

She was one of around 150 people from unions and community groups who gathered Saturday afternoon at Allan Gardens to march to Queen’s Park as part of the “Rally for Decent Work.”

The purpose of the rally was to urge the government to bump up the minimum wage from $12.50 to $15 an hour and push for security and benefits for part time or contract workers.

Saturday’s rally was held as the province conducts its Ontario Changing Workplace Review, which may change labour laws.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to push for sweeping changes to make life better for all workers in Ontario,” said Jerry Dias, the national union president of UNIFOR.

“We are tired of waiting for a decent standard of living. The government has a majority mandate to do what is right . This will be an election issue if they don’t do what is right ... they need to change the system that is rigged for employers.”

It also has to be easier for workers employed in “precarious” jobs to form a union, said Josephine Petcher, a national UNIFOR representative.

“A union is the best way out of poverty and into the middle class,” Petcher said, adding temporary workers should be paid at the same scale as other employees.

She says employers also need to be fairer when giving hours.

“When you don’t know when you will work from day-to-day, how do you raise a family, go to night school or be a part of the community,” Petcher said.