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Workers' Right to Safety at Work Opposition in Saskatchewan to Spurious Claims by Deputy Labour Minister Regarding Workers' Rights and Workplace SafetyIn a press release dated May 19, Local 5430 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is opposing the misleading claims that were made by Deputy Labour Minister Donna Johnson regarding workers' rights and workplace safety. In a recent article, the Deputy Minister wrote: "If there's no reason to say that the workplace is unsafe, then the employee essentially does not have any ability to refuse work..."
The press release states that when a worker believes their workplace or the job they've been asked to perform is unusually dangerous, they then have the right to refuse. "Every situation is unique, and a blanket statement about what is dangerous, is in itself very dangerous," says Winters. The press release points out that the Saskatchewan Employment Act actually says that a worker has the right to refuse work "...if the worker has reasonable grounds to believe that the act or series of acts is unusually dangerous to the worker's health or safety..." The right to refuse applies directly to the current COVID-19 pandemic as many members of the local are reporting that they do not get all the masks they need to work safely for themselves and the patients. This "poses dangers which the worker must have some control over," says the communique. "COVID-19 is deadly. To make a blanket statement saying it doesn't present an unusual danger is irresponsible. The Deputy Minister should be more concerned about making sure all the workers in the province have proper PPE [personal protective equipment] and that all employers are properly training their employees how to use them. This is not the time to deny rights to the workers of this province," says Sandra Seitz, president of CUPE 5430.
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"The
Deputy Minister does not have the right to pre-declare that a workplace
is safe," says Troy Winters, CUPE's Health and Safety Senior Officer.
"The right to refuse is just the start of a process that allows workers
to step back from a situation that could lead them to injury or
illness, if their health and safety complaints have not been
addressed before they are required to do a job."