With the federal-provincial-territorial Finance Ministers’ meeting set to take place on Monday, Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan will use the opportunity to continue to press for reform on employment insurance, the minister said on Friday.

In a statement, Duncan said immediate changes to the EI system are necessary so that Ontario workers are provided with their fair share of payments. He pointed out that the average unemployed Ontarian receives $4,600 less in EI benefits than unemployed Canadians in other provinces.

Furthermore, almost 70% of unemployed Ontarians do not receive EI total regular benefits, primarily because the program is not designed to meet the changing needs of Ontario’s labour force, Duncan said.

He acknowledged that the federal government’s recent move to extend EI payments was an “important step forward to helping families now.”

Another issue that Duncan intends to address at the meeting in Meech Lake, Quebec, is pension coverage. The global recession has highlighted concerns about whether the right policies are in place to help Canadians prepare for their retirements in the future, according to Duncan.

“Pension coverage is a complex issue that is not only a question for Ontario, but also for the federal government and other provinces and territories,” he said.

He calls for an immediate broader dialogue about pensions, including pension coverage and the adequacy of retirement incomes.

“I look forward to having a meaningful dialogue on pensions at Monday’s meeting,” Duncan said.

“During these challenging times, governments need to work together to help all of Canada emerge stronger from this global economic crisis,” he added.