The Federation of Labour is joining the call for Ottawa to take immediate action and reverse changes made to EI qualification criteria.

The FFAW started sounding the alarm when it learned that seasonal workers in rural parts of the province would be negatively affected by the changes. Harvesters must now log greater earnings and plant workers more hours in order to qualify in what has been a particularly tumultuous time in the fishery.

But the changes affect far more than workers involved in the fishing industry.

The President of the Federation of Labour, Jessica McCormick, says they will result in greater hurdles for workers to qualify for benefits.

Sara Moriarity of the Workers Action Network says it makes things much harder for those who are working part-time.

She says while the unemployment rate has dropped, there is a shortage of full-time work in all industries, making it harder for workers to get the necessary qualifying hours.