The Public Service Alliance of Canada completed a Health and Safety Conference in Ottawa from January 19 to 21 ... with a theme of "Regulation Works". Over 300 delegates worked out strategies to:
* counteract the Harper regime's efforts to weaken occupational health and safety and environmental regulation;
* improve enforcement to better protect workers;
* dispel the myth of the careless worker.
The Conference made note of the new employer strategies:
* greater de-regulation, in "Smart Management" or "Risk Management" and in bowing to pressure from the World Trade Organization (WTO) to eviscerate worker safety in favour of corporate profits;
* implementing worker behaviour-based safety programs.
quote:
Worker behaviour-based safety programs are yet one more way of achieving deregulation. The programs are based on the notion that the work performed by the individual is the core of the problem, rather than the work process or the working environment itself which is controlled by the employer. ...."these programs are attempts to have workers bear the burden of the accidents they fall victim to."
In Canada there are over a million occupational accidents and more than 1,000 lives lost every year. However, the Conservative regime is simply continuing the atrocities of the previous Liberal administration. "The trend is not intended to better protect our rights or our health," said Jerome Turcq, Conference Co-Chair.
When the Canadian government negotiates treaties, it introduces new provisions and actively works to add deregulation measures the consequences of which, for working people, the government is completely indifferent to.
More can be found at the PSAC website.
quote:
Marie Clarke Walker, VP, Canadian Labour Congress: ... health and safety legislation is based on three fundamental rights: the right to know, the right to participate and the right to refuse to do dangerous work. We must continue to assert these rights, if we want to maintain them."
No Canadian who is concerned about life and death safety issues at work should be supporting these despicable Conservative and Liberal regimes that are indifferent to the well being of Canadian working people.
[ 06 February 2007: Message edited by: N.Beltov ]
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posted 06 February 2007 08:14 PM
