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'These proposed changes would not have been possible had it not been for the extensive contributions made by organized labour.'
Toronto (20 Dec. 2010) - The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE) says the province should become a safer place if the recommendations by the Expert Advisory Panel on Occupational Health and Safety are fully implemented.
"We welcome the changes announced today by Labour Minister Peter Fonseca and we fully anticipate he will put into law all 46 recommendations," says Warren (Smokey) Thomas, OPSEU president.
"These proposed changes would not have been possible had it not been for the extensive contributions made by organized labour to the expert advisory panel and we are pleased that chair Tony Dean has incorporated many of our recommendations to the extent that he did."
Working in collaboration with ministry of labour occupational health and safety inspectors, OPSEU participated in the consultation process and in June released two written submissions containing several recommendations that found have now their way - at least in part - into the panel's official report.
Chief among these recommendations was a suggestion by OPSEU to strengthen the powers available to ministry of labour inspectors charged with investigating reprisals against workers who report unsafe working conditions.
Unfortunately, the the report falls short of adopting another OPSEU recommendation proposing that inspectors be given authority to reinstate workers who are victims of employer reprisals..
OPSEU welcomes the panel’s recommendation that every Ontario worker and supervisor must receive mandatory information about workplace rights and responsibilities before they start their job.
The government is to establish a new office within the ministry of labour under the direction of a Chief Prevention Officer (CPO) whose mandate will be to ensure that all work sites operate in compliance with the OHSA.
"The CPO will ensure Ontario's injury prevention priorities and programs are coordinated and integrated with the province's enforcement system," the ministry says.
"The officer will also oversee Ontario's health and safety associations and report annually to the minister."
Going into the review there were fears that the ministry’s enforcement duties would be lost but the report makes clear that this function must remain inside the department. Also left intact is the role and funding of the Workers Health and Safety Centre (WHSC) and the occupational health centres for Ontario workers.
Len Elliott, chair of OPSEU’s labour ministry employee relations committee (MERC), says the health and safety overhaul is long overdue and he welcomed the panel’s recommendations and the role played by labour in fashioning the changes.
"It is deeply regrettable that it took the deaths of four young men on a construction site in Toronto last December to trigger the work of the panel," Elliott adds.
"Now that its work is complete we will be watching very closely to ensure that all the recommendations are implemented to the fullest in order that Ontario becomes a safer place for working people on the job."
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE
More information:
Expert Advisory Panel on Occupational Health and Safety - Report and Recommendations to the Minister of Labour