Latest news with #languageRights
CTV News
4 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Languages commissioner raises concerns with new bilingual requirements for public service supervisors
Canada's official languages commissioner is calling on the Treasury Board to implement a 'monitoring mechanism' to protect the language rights of employees as the federal government introduces new language requirements for supervisors. As of June 20, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat will increase the minimum second-language proficiency requirements for bilingual supervisor positions from an intermediate to a superior level – raising the requirement from BBB to CBC. A CBC profile means a candidate for a bilingual supervisor position must be advanced (C level) in reading and oral proficiency, and have an intermediate (B level) for writing. According to the Treasury Board Secretariat, the requirements will only apply to new appointments to bilingual positions responsible for the supervision of employees occupying positions in bilingual regions. The new requirements will apply to supervisor positions in the national capital region, bilingual regions of eastern Ontario, Montreal and Quebec, and New Brunswick. In the annual report to Parliament, Commissioner of Official Languages Raymond Théberge says the initiative is a 'step in the right direction.' However, he says the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat will have to ensure employees with language-of-work rights can work and be supervised in the official language of their choice. 'I am concerned about what might happen to employees who are supervised by incumbents of unilingual supervisory positions or by incumbents of bilingual positions who do not meet the CBC second-language requirement,' Théberge said in the report. 'In fact, the CBC initiative does not provide for administrative measures to protect employees' right to work in the official language of their choice.' Théberge recommends the president of the Treasury Board implement a monitoring mechanism for federal institutions to 'ensure that they take and maintain measures to protect the language rights of employees in designated bilingual regions,' who are supervised by incumbents who do not meet the second-language requirement. The officer of the Commissioner of Official Languages says it received 307 complaints in Ottawa and 89 in Quebec in the 2024-25, including 101 language of work complaints in federal officers in Ottawa. Federal officials becoming bilingual The official languages commissioner says he is 'closely monitoring' the transition of 700 federal offices that will soon be required to be bilingual. Some federal offices will soon be designated to offer services in both official languages to reflect the 2021 Census data. The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat is coordinating the new language obligations for 2027, and federal institutions are responsible for taking the 'necessary actions to confirm the linguistic designation' of their office, according to the report. 'Implementing the changes could prove to be challenging,' Théberge said. 'According to my regional offices, front-line managers in many different federal institutions say they expect to have difficulty recruiting bilingual staff and that their language training budgets will not allow them to rapidly increase their bilingual capacity.' Théberge says the bilingual service offices will have a 'positive impact' on the 'vitality of official language minority communities.' The report says federal institutions need to ensure they have enough staff to provide services in both official languages, either through recruiting or providing language training to existing personnel. 'I am therefore encouraging all federal institutions to start planning for this transition now. I will be closely monitoring the transition of federal offices that will soon be required to provide services in both official languages,' Théberge said.
Russia Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
EU state MP says parents raided after Russian-language scandal
A Latvian MP has claimed his parents' home was raided in what he called an effort to intimidate him for defending the right of ethnic Russians in the country to speak their language. Alexey Roslikov, who is being investigated for inciting hatred over a recent speech in parliament, was reportedly briefly detained and released on Monday. In his address to the Saeima earlier this month, Roslikov accused the government of persecuting Latvia's Russian minority, who make up roughly 25% of the population. He concluded his remarks in Russian and was escorted out for violating parliamentary rules established in May that mandate using only the Latvian language. The authorities launched a probe against the lawmaker, accusing him of aiding an 'aggressor state' [Russia] against Latvia. The country's State Security Service (VDD) confirmed conducting searches at properties linked to the MP, local media reported Monday. Several members of Roslikov's For Stability! party reported his detention. The lawmaker later posted a video on social media stating he had been barred from leaving the country while the VDD probe continues. He has accused the authorities of targeting his family in an effort to apply psychological pressure. 'They searched my place, they even searched my parents' place, they searched everything they could,' he said. Roslikov maintained that no evidence links him to Russia and described the allegations as a pretext for a more invasive investigation. He dismissed claims that advocating for the rights of ethnic Russians amounts to a criminal act. The June 5 speech marked Roslikov's final address in the national legislature before he relinquished his mandate five days later. On June 7, he was elected to Riga's municipal legislature, and under Latvian law, he cannot serve in both roles. His resignation stripped him of the prosecutorial immunity afforded to MPs. Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Latvia and its Baltic neighbors, Estonia and Lithuania, have ramped up enforcement actions against individuals and organizations suspected of Russian ties. Among the measures taken by Riga are mandatory Latvian language exams for ethnic Russians. Hundreds of people have reportedly been deported for failing the exam or refusing to take it. Moscow has repeatedly accused the Baltic states of pursuing discriminatory policies against ethnic Russians driven by nationalist motives.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Forbes: Law would help parents who want Gaelic schools
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes says new legislation would "strengthen the rights" of parents who want Gaelic medium education (GME) in their local area. Under the proposed powers, the Scottish government could request that a local authority carry out an assessment into the viability of the provision. GME is available to all children and young people in 14 out of Scotland's 32 local authorities , according to Education Scotland. MSPs are due to vote on the Scottish Languages Bill next week. The proposed legislation also includes establishing Gaelic and Scots as official languages. More stories from the Highlands and Islands News from the Highlands and Islands on BBC Sounds On a visit to Inverness, Forbes told BBC Naidheachdan: "Through the languages bill, we are strengthening the rights of parents and pupils to ask for Gaelic medium education in their area. "In the past, a parent could ask for Gaelic medium education but there was no guarantee that it would be delivered. "What we've introduced through the bill is that where a parent asks for it and it isn't provided, referral can be made to the Scottish government to then also make that request." Forbes, who is a Gaelic speaker, said other "processes" would have to be followed before GME could eventually be put in place. She said there were some "complexities" in the proposed legislation, adding: "What we've done is strengthen the voice of parents who ask for Gaelic medium education." Forbes added that the Scottish government was separately trying to boost the numbers of Gaelic teachers. There have been warnings in the past of a shortage of GME teaching staff. Education Scotland, a Scottish government agency, said GME was available in about 60 primary schools and their associated secondaries in Scotland. GME is available to children through primary and secondary school. The number of people using Gaelic has increased across Scotland despite a decline in the language's heartland, according to the latest census data. The 2022 figures showed 130,161 people in Scotland had some Gaelic skills - an increase of 43,105 people from 2011. Experts said the increase in GME accounted for the rise. However, the data suggested Gaelic was a minority language in the Western Isles. While 52% reported speaking Gaelic in 2011, the figure in 2022 was 45%. The census figures also suggested 2.4 million people in Scotland had some skills in Scots skills in 2022 - an increase of more than 515,000 on 2011. New powers proposed to support Gaelic and Scots
BBC News
10-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Forbes: New law would back parents who want Gaelic education
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes says new legislation would "strengthen the rights" of parents who want Gaelic medium education (GME) in their local the proposed powers, the Scottish government could request that a local authority carry out an assessment into the viability of the is available to all children and young people in 14 out of Scotland's 32 local authorities , according to Education are due to vote on the Scottish Languages Bill next week. The proposed legislation also includes establishing Gaelic and Scots as official languages. On a visit to Inverness, Forbes told BBC Naidheachdan: "Through the languages bill, we are strengthening the rights of parents and pupils to ask for Gaelic medium education in their area."In the past, a parent could ask for Gaelic medium education but there was no guarantee that it would be delivered."What we've introduced through the bill is that where a parent asks for it and it isn't provided, referral can be made to the Scottish government to then also make that request."Forbes, who is a Gaelic speaker, said other "processes" would have to be followed before GME could eventually be put in said there were some "complexities" in the proposed legislation, adding: "What we've done is strengthen the voice of parents who ask for Gaelic medium education."Forbes added that the Scottish government was separately trying to boost the numbers of Gaelic have been warnings in the past of a shortage of GME teaching staff. Education Scotland, a Scottish government agency, said GME was available in about 60 primary schools and their associated secondaries in is available to children through primary and secondary number of people using Gaelic has increased across Scotland despite a decline in the language's heartland, according to the latest census 2022 figures showed 130,161 people in Scotland had some Gaelic skills - an increase of 43,105 people from said the increase in GME accounted for the the data suggested Gaelic was a minority language in the Western 52% reported speaking Gaelic in 2011, the figure in 2022 was 45%.The census figures also suggested 2.4 million people in Scotland had some skills in Scots skills in 2022 - an increase of more than 515,000 on 2011.
Russia Today
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
EU state to prosecute MP for speaking Russian (VIDEO)
Latvia's State Security Service (VDD) has launched a criminal investigation against MP Aleksey Roslikov for speaking Russian at a parliamentary session last week. The lawmaker has been accused of 'providing assistance to the aggressor state' as well as inciting 'hatred' and 'sowing discord,' the agency said in a statement on Monday. On Thursday, Roslikov of the For Stability! party spoke out in parliament against a declaration that would effectively ban the use of the Russian language in public space in Latvia. The initiative is seeking to 'eradicate the consequences' of the alleged 'Russification' of the country, which authorities in Riga claim took place under Soviet rule from 1940 to 1991. Russian-speakers are an inalienable part of the Latvian society, Roslikov insisted, and criticized their growing marginalization. While he spoke in Latvian, he concluded it with a phrase in Russian, proclaiming: 'There are more of us, and Russian is our language.' 🇱🇻 Latvian MP Aleksejs Roslikovs has been expelled from parliament after criticizing a declaration on Soviet-era 'Russification' and concluding his speech in Russian. He warned of growing discrimination: 'What's next—banning Russian names?' Before walking out, he declared: 'We… He faces up to five years in prison if found guilty. Russian-speakers make up nearly a quarter of the Baltic country's population. The criminal case was initiated after the security service 'evaluated' Roslikov's speech as well as 'other recent activities,' the statement said. The VDD also said it had repeatedly 'warned' the lawmaker about 'potential criminal liability' for his actions. In late May, new parliamentary laws were approved, according to which MPs should only communicate in parliament in the official – Latvian – language. Roslikov's speech reportedly outraged many of his colleagues, as 63 MPs out of 100 instantly voted to expel him from the session. Describing the criminal case against him as 'bewildering,' Roslikov claimed he was defending a part of the Latvian population against 'persecution' under 'an absolutely criminal law.' He vowed to 'fight' and stated that he 'has no reasons to stop.' Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Latvia and its Baltic neighbors, Estonia and Lithuania, have intensified their collective stance against Russia. Riga has implemented travel restrictions targeting Russian citizens and banned vehicles with license plates from the country. It also introduced a mandatory Latvian language test for long-term residents of Russian origin. Hundreds who failed or refused the exam have been deported. The Kremlin has denounced the measures as 'blatant discrimination against Russians.'
