|
Workers Continue to Speak Out
About Safety Concerns The Need to Break the Silence on Lack of Safety on Construction SitesWorkers' Forum: You have raised in the media that there is a serious problem on construction sites regarding information on the danger of the spread of COVID-19 on the sites. Can you tell us more?
The companies are telling us that this is personal, confidential information and that we must go to Public Health in order to get information. Then Public Health tells us that this is confidential information. It doesn't make sense. For example, we have a crane operator who was quarantined because he had symptoms. He was tested. As a rule, if you're going to be tested because you have symptoms that might be related to COVID-19, Public Health says you have to quarantine yourself until you get your results. We finally found out about the case because the member called us. He went to Public Health, who told him that his situation is problematic because he has been moving around a lot from one job site to another, that this could be a big case of COVID. He had just taken a test, which later proved negative, took a second test, also negative. His doctor, seeing that the tests were negative, gave him a note to go back to work, saying that his symptoms were not symptoms of COVID-19. This worker will not be paid for his quarantine period. His tests are negative, so he will not be covered by the CNESST compensation system. He will not be eligible for CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit) because he has earned too much money. He will not be eligible for EI sickness benefits because his file says "possible COVID." In addition, because of the pandemic, joint health and safety committees are not functioning. These committees are a place where one could ask questions, ask what investigation was done, whether the safety conditions to prevent COVID-19 were in place, whether the two-metre distance was respected, whether the workers were wearing masks, who the worker had been in contact with. We are demanding access to information, either from Public Health or CNESST, so that we can follow up on different situations. CNESST says that it is not up to them to inform us, that it is up to Public Health. Public Health should work with CNESST to get the information from CNESST. When there is a workplace accident that is reported, CNESST gives us the information. If the accident involves one of my members, I go to the scene of the accident and argue what the corrective measures are. With COVID it should be the same. WF: How are the safety conditions on construction sites right now in relation to COVID-19?
When the construction sites reopened, CNESST pledged to carry out systematic investigations of the situation with COVID-19 on the sites, but this is not what is happening. If CNESST is not there to investigate, and a worker is removed from the work site, there's a debate as to whether the worker is going to be compensated by CNESST, whether they contracted their symptoms at work, whether it's work-related or not. CNESST must work with Public Health. It must be there very actively on the building sites. What worries me the most is that we might just think about working and ignore cases of COVID-19. If there are a lot of cases some sites are going to close and nobody is going to win. That's not what we want. It looks like they're hiding it from us so we don't put pressure on them. But the health rules are not being followed. The two-metre rule is not respected. The working methods are not good. That's what's hidden with the refusal to provide information. I hope that both Public Health and CNESST will be more open and that CNESST will participate in the investigations so that we can follow up on COVID cases and take action. It's important. (Translated from original French by WF. Photos: FTQ-Construction)
This article was published in   Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca |
Evans
Dupuis:
The problem is that Public Health, the
construction companies and the
CNESST (Labour Standards, Pay Equity and
Workplace Health and Safety
Board) do not want to provide us with the
information as to which
worker is affected, whether it is one of our
members, whether they have
been tested, whether they have
been declared positive, whether an investigation
has been done, whether
everyone who has been in contact with them has
been investigated, etc.
We're not able to get any information. How can
we assess whether the
safety measures in place were adequate? How can
we follow up under
these conditions to reassure workers that
everything has been
done safely, that there will be no spread?
ED:
There are some sites on which there are no
safety measures at all to
prevent workers from contracting COVID. On other
sites, companies tell
workers to wear a mask and visor and then there
is no more two metre
distancing. In other places, the two-metre
distance is respected. The
situation could degenerate into an
epidemic, in my opinion.