Quebec Government Poised to Dismantle Occupational
Health and Safety Regime
Workers and Their Unions Demand Withdrawal of Anti-Worker Anti-Social Bill 59
Action against Bill 59 at National Assembly, August 26, 2021
Despite strong opposition from workers, their
unions and
injured workers' organizations, the Quebec government is preparing
to pass Bill
59, An
Act to modernize the occupational health and safety regime,
as the
Quebec National Assembly committee charged with clause by clause study of the legislation has
completed its work.
The bill openly treats workers' health and safety as a cost that
must be
reduced for those who buy workers' capacity to work, including a
full-scale
attack on treatments of injuries, rehabilitation and compensation.
It also excludes
the voice of workers from
decision-making
about prevention in the workplace.
 With
great hypocrisy, Labour Minister Jean Boulet stated in committee that
granting all decision-making power to employers is intended to
strengthen the accountability of employers, since they are ultimately
the ones who are responsible for ensuring the necessary prevention
programs in workplaces! By attacking workers' medical treatment
and compensation, the bill affirms that workers are disposable as far
as the narrow private interests that control the economy are concerned.
Construction workers have also pointed out that the attacks on
prevention come at a time when a labour shortage is being invoked to
open up job sites en masse
to a workforce that more and more is not being given the necessary
training to ensure their safety. Workers who leave the industry because
of the poor working conditions, including lack of safety, can easily be
replaced by workers who lack proper training and this never ends.
Treating workers as disposable increases the dangers for all workers.
On September 21, the Quebec Federation of Labour (FTQ) voted
unanimously at its executive meeting to call for the withdrawal of Bill
59. The QFL is the largest central labour organization in Quebec and
represents the majority of industrial workers in Quebec, while also
being widely represented in the public sector. On its board sit
representatives of a large number of affiliated unions, including
United Steelworkers, FTQ-Construction, Unifor, Teamsters, United Food
and Commercial Workers, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Canadian
Union of Postal Workers, Public Service Alliance of Canada,
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and many
others. The Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (CSD) is also calling
for the rejection of Bill 59. The Confederation of National Trade
unions (CSN) and the Centrale des syndicats du Québec also
denounce Bill 59 as unacceptable.
Workers are considering what actions to take to ensure that Bill 59 does not pass.
This article was published in
September 24, 2021 - No. 87
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/WF2021/Articles/WO08871.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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