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Quebec Workers Step Up the Fight Against Bill 59 Anti-Worker Anti-Social Bill 59 Must Be Withdrawn!In recent months, Quebec workers have stepped up their actions against the government's anti-worker, anti-social Bill 59, fraudulently called An Act to modernize the occupational health and safety regime. At the International Workers' Day actions on May First and the April 28 National Day of Mourning actions the opposition to Bill 59 was everywhere. A banner that has become very popular crosses out the word "modernize" and replaces it with the word "demolish." This clearly describes the government's intent, as it openly boasts that these changes will "save" employers $4 billion over a ten-year period.
This "saving" is to be accomplished by a dramatic reduction in access to treatment and compensation for workers injured or made ill on the job. It also gives unilateral power to employers to determine the prevention and health programs, prevention hours, how the joint health and safety committees will operate, and many other aspects of the system. The legislation even permits multi-site programs where an employer can decide that there will be only one prevention representative and one health and safety committee for all its sites in a given region! In their fierce competition for profit and domination, monopolies introduce production processes that are increasingly dangerous. For example, as new technology permits mining at greater depths the danger to workers from rockbursts increases. Remote operation from far away from the actual mine site also increases the danger to the workers. In response to employers' demands, the government is deregulating and dismantling the protection regime, which decreases protection for both workers and communities. We have seen the tragic consequences of the deregulation of the rail industry and degradation of safety procedures, including the Lac-Mégantic disaster. The rail companies and governments have shed some tears but no changes are made and the tragedies continue. The fact that cabinet ministers, whose living and working conditions have nothing to do with those of workers, are proposing a bill that undermines workers' safety and denies workers any say in determining their health and safety conditions, highlights that these governments must be held to account and that the independent voice of workers must prevail as a matter of urgency.
The renewal of the occupational health and safety system must be based on the demands that workers and their organizations put forward. Concerns of the owners of the mines, mills, factories and all other facilities which denigrate the human factor and want the state to only recognize their demands for higher profits, must not be permitted to decide changes to health and safety laws and regulations. The workers are speaking out against this because it is unconscionable and against the social solidarity which lies at the base of Quebec society and imbues their moral compass. Workers' Forum will continue to be part of their important initiatives to make their voices heard. (Photos and graphics: WF, UTTAM, FTQ)
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