• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Injured Workers Online

Injured Workers Online

Working Together for Justice

  • Blog
  • Sign Up
  • About
  • Twitter
Working Together for Justice
  • Workers’ Compensation
    • History
    • Law Reform
    • Workers’ compensation bills
    • Chronic Pain Victory
    • Research and Education
    • Bancroft Institute
    • Meredith Conference: “No-Half Measures”
    • RAACWI
  • Issues
    • Appeals
    • Benefits
    • Experience Rating
    • Funding
    • Mental Health
    • Poverty
    • Return to Work
    • Stigma and surveillance
    • Universal Coverage
  • Community
    • Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups (ONIWG)
    • Workers’ Comp Is a Right campaign
    • Injured Worker Groups
    • IW Speakers School
    • Injured Workers’ Stories
    • Organizing and Action
    • Arts & social justice
  • Events
    • Calendar View
    • RSI Awareness Day
    • Day of Mourning
    • Justice Bike Ride
    • Injured Workers Day
    • December demo
    • Labour Day – a workers’ festival
  • Media
    • In the News
    • Press Releases
    • Fact Sheets
    • Headlines on workers’ compensation
    • Videos
  • Resources
    • Law and Policy Submissions
    • Reports, Articles & Papers
    • Practical guides & booklets
    • IWHP Bulletins
    • Library
    • Find Legal Help
    • Links
Home / Blog / Employment / Govt bill weakens labour law protections for workers

Govt bill weakens labour law protections for workers

October 28, 2018

This has been a challenging week for legal protection of workers’ conditions of employment and safety on the job. On Tuesday the Ford government introduced Bill 47, Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018 to roll-back labour laws changes enacted in the previous government’s Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017. Those reforms sought to reflect the needs of today’s workplace and workers, particularly the growing share of the population in precarious jobs in a labour market transformed by globalization and technological change. Following extensive public consultation across the province with all stakeholders by the Changing Workplaces Review, Bill 148 addressed decent working conditions, equal pay for equal work, better worker protections and unionization rights.

In the Ministry of Labour’s recent backgrounder to Bill 47, the government proposes to repeal Bill 148 amendments “that are causing employers the most concern and unnecessary burden.” Included among these is the raise in minimum wage to $15 due to come into force in 2019, and now frozen until October 2020 – despite there being no sign it was a wage killer  that business organizations such as Ontario Chamber of Commerce predicted.

  • Read Goldblatt Partners’ detailed summary of the many employment and labour protections wiped out by Bill 47, and listen to Goldblatt lawyer Dan Sheppard answer questions on the bill on CBC Radio’s Oct. 25 Ontario Today noon-hour program.

“It’s time to listen to the people”

removing equal pay for equal work provisions will increase the gender pay gap in this province where women make 30 per cent less than men on average. That gap is increased for women workers, Workers of Colour, Indigenous workers, and workers with a disability. This is a slap in the face for millions of workers in this province.” (Pam Frache, Workers’ Action Centre)

Province-wide resistance has been swift as the labour movement , the $15 and Fairness Campaign, anti-poverty advocates and other community groups mobilize to continue speaking out. The Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups is among those pushing for workers’ rights, as are some business groups such as the Ontario Living Wage Network and the Better Way Alliance whose members champion decent work laws and employee  well-being as a smart investment  [read their full statement].

Red flags have also been raised by Ontario medical professionals  on the additional health and economic burden shifted back onto the public purse by Bill 47 provisions increasing worker poverty  and reinstating medical note requirements.

Fair labour laws posterAn occupational fatality on Thursday sadly underscored the need to strengthen Ontario’s workplace safety and employment conditions, especially for its most vulnerable workers. Friday night a vigil was held outside Queen’s Park for the temporary agency worker who died on the job at a company affiliated with Fiera Foods, subject of a 2017 undercover Toronto Star investigation  into why those relying on temp agency work are more likely to get hurt on the job.

Read more:

  • Mojtehedzadeh, Sara. 2018 Oct. 26. “How Your Rights on the Job Will Change if Bill 47 is Passed.” Toronto Star
  • Rockarts, Chloe & Gerard Di Trolio. 2018 Oct. 25. “Ford Takes on Bill 148 But There is Resistance.” Rank and File.ca
  • Bouw, Brenda. 2018 Oct. 25. “Red Flags Raised as Ontario Reinstates Doctor’s Note Requirement For Sick Workers.” Globe and Mail
  • Ontario Living Wage Network & Better Way Alliance. 2018 Oct. 24. Shun Move to Roll Back Workers’ Rights, Opting for The High Road
  • Rushowy, Kristin & Sara Mojtehedzadeh. 2018 Oct. 23. “Ontario Moves to Hold Minimum Wage at $14 and End Paid Sick Days.” Toronto Star

Filed Under: Employment, In the News, Law Reform, Safety

Primary Sidebar

Latest Tweets

Injuredworkersonline Follow

IWO_org
Injuredworkersonline @iwo_org ·
9 Aug

Province investigating deaths of construction workers after Ajax trench collapse https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2022/08/09/province-investigating-deaths-of-construction-workers-after-ajax-trench-collapse.html via @torontostar

Reply on Twitter 1557111845793800192 Retweet on Twitter 1557111845793800192 Like on Twitter 1557111845793800192 Twitter 1557111845793800192
Injuredworkersonline @iwo_org ·
9 Aug

Ontario unions tell Ford to "Listen Up!" as Ontario Legislature resumes - including a call for universal coverage https://financialpost.com/globe-newswire/ontario-unions-tell-ford-to-listen-up-as-ontario-legislature-resumes

Reply on Twitter 1556799979347378177 Retweet on Twitter 1556799979347378177 1 Like on Twitter 1556799979347378177 4 Twitter 1556799979347378177
Injuredworkersonline @iwo_org ·
9 Aug

UPDATE: Four workers injured in apparent trench collapse in Ajax https://www.thestar.com/local-ajax/news/2022/08/08/update-four-workers-injured-in-apparent-trench-collapse-in-ajax.html via @torontostar

Reply on Twitter 1556799078645760000 Retweet on Twitter 1556799078645760000 3 Like on Twitter 1556799078645760000 2 Twitter 1556799078645760000
Load More...

Footer

Stay connected – get our blog updates
Copyright © 2022 Injured Workers Online
  • Accessibility
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy

The information in this website is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for legal advice. For legal advice, see Find legal help