Legislation tabled in November by the Kenney Government effectively guts Workers Compensation and workplace safety protection in the guise of reducing “red tape.”

Bill 47, misleadingly entitled the Ensuring Safety and Cutting Red Tape Act, removes significant portions of the Workers Compensation Act and completely replaces the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Introduced on November 5, the omnibus bill clearly puts employer profits ahead of workers’ health and safety and would return the Workers Compensation Board to a corporate model that denies many injured workers compensation to which they are entitled.

When passed, the legislation will mean workers are more vulnerable to injury and death on the job, and will have less access to the sup[port they need if they are injured.

Source: Bill 47 would gut WCB and workplace safety protections and call it ‘red tape reduction’ – UNA