The new Employment Insurance rules from the federal government have the Alberta Federation of Labour fuming.

The AFL says the changes will push wages down, and force workers to take less than what they're worth.

AFL President Gil McGowan says the Harper government is turning the system into the opposite of what it was designed to be.

"This is really fundamentally insulting to me as a representative for working people, because I know that the vast majority of those people on the system are there against their will, they've lost their jobs and just need some help. And that's what the system is supposed to be there for."

The changes are promising to be tough on those who have utilized it more than once.

inews880, Thurs May 24 2012