Quebec Workers Speak Out on Health and Safety
Workers Oppose Neo-Liberal Health and Safety Reforms on Day of Mourning
Day of Mourning action in Gatineau,
April 28,
2021
As an expression of unity in action in the face of the Quebec
government's anti-social anti-worker Bill-59 to "modernize health and
safety at the workplace," actions were organized throughout Quebec on
April 28, the Day of Mourning. Bill 59 imposes a complete overhaul of
Quebec's health and safety regime without any say by the workers
or their defence organizations. It includes changes that will save
employers millions of dollars by denying injured workers just
compensation.
 Outaouais
locals of several unions representing the main sectors of the social
economy organized an event at noon in front of a Gatineau long-term
care centre which, like many such centres, was hard-hit by the pandemic
in both the first and second wave. This was the place of work of the
first worker known to have succumbed to COVID-19
in the Outaouais -- Sylvain Roy, a long-time personal support worker.
Spokespersons pointed out that April 28 was a day to pay homage to
all those who had fallen ill or died from COVID-19, and all those who
had suffered work-related accidents, exhaustion or mental health
problems, as well as to express the workers' strong opposition to
Bill-59. It was pointed out that it was particularly ironic that the
Legault
government chose these times of pandemic, when workers are going
through great upheavals and many are putting their very lives on the
line to provide services essential to society, to pass a law which
attacks the people's right to work in a safe environment. As one speaker pointed out, not only is health and safety
an obligation
for the employer, it is a worker's fundamental right.
A Quebec Federation of Labour (FTQ) spokesperson said that health
and safety in the workplace must be a priority in a modern society and
that, above all, it is a matter of human dignity.
In the actions that were organized across Quebec opposition to Bill 59 was a prominent theme. Speakers pointed
out that the Ministry of Labour's official document on the regulatory
impact of the bill states that this reform will save employers $4
billion over the next 10 years through reduced treatment and
compensation for injured and sick workers.
 In the actions, the workers also pointed out that this bill
deregulates everything related to prevention, putting it all under the
control of employers. Among other things, prevention and health
programs, hours devoted to prevention, and the operation of joint
health and safety committees will now be left to the sole discretion of
employers.
This dismantling is called a "modernization" of the occupational health and safety system.
That this is being done at a time when hundreds of thousands of
workers are risking their health and safety to protect the public and
help them get through the pandemic crisis only shows the contempt that
neo-liberal governments such as the Legault government have for workers.
On the Day of Mourning, Quebec workers took a firm stand in defence
of their right to healthy and safe working conditions and for workers
to have the decisive say in determining those conditions and the
treatment and compensation of workers injured and made ill on the job. |
