NDP calls for Committee to ensure a safe return to work

MPP Jamie West, NDP Critic for Labour Relations and MPP Wayne Gates, NDP Critic for Workplace Health and Safety are calling on the Ford government to create a Workplace Safety Readiness Committee responsible for ensuring Ontario’s workers can return to work safely.

“As Ontario develops a recovery plan and workplaces start to re-open, the provincial government must take urgent action to better protect workers,” Said Gates.

The Workplace Safety Readiness Committee would be empowered to provide strong recommendations that could be immediately implemented to facilitate a safe transition back to a fully functioning economy. Ontarians should be confident that when workplaces re-open they will have the tools, resources, and PPE they need to stay safe and healthy.

“The Workplace Safety Readiness Committee would ensure world-class workplace safety in Ontario, designed by Ontarians, for Ontarians. The Committee’s approach would help workplaces address hazards quickly, and more effectively,” Said West.

The NDP is proposing the committee include equal representation from health care, organized labour, industry, and safety professionals. MPP West and MPP Gates have asked for the Premier’s office to strike the committee as soon as possible to ensure that we set-up Ontario’s economy for success. Workers currently on the job, and those who will be returning to work in the near future need to know that there will be protections in place to keep them safe.