A local labour leader is crying foul over a B.C. Liberals plan to divert surplus WorkSafeBC funds back to employers.
Speaking at the annual day of mourning for workers killed and injured on the job on April 28, Aaron Ekman, now the secretary treasurer of the B.C. Federation of Labour, said the extra money should go to claims from injured workers or into training.
"The announcement that that money is going to be given back to employers with no strings attached is particularly offensive to the people who've fought so hard for the system we have today," he said.
In early April, the provincial government announced plans, if re-elected, to amend the Workers Compensation Act so it would require WorkSafe to return funds to employers when it has a surplus of contributions in the accident fund.
In 2015, the assets exceeding liabilities in the fund were $4.5 billion, with an asset to liability ratio of 138 per cent, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond, who was minister of jobs, tourism and skills training and responsible for labour prior to the writ being dropped, attended the day of mourning.
In an interview Monday, Bond said the employees on workers compensation will remain unaffected.
"We're not going to see benefits diminished," she said.
She also noted the NDP government in Alberta, as well as the Conservative government in Saskatchewan have reimbursed surpluses back to employers. The total in Alberta was $517 million and $281 million in Saskatchewan.
"What we're going to do is look at what level there is going to be a return to employers considering two things," Bond said. "One, employee benefits being taken care of and protected. Two looking at what level is necessary to sustain a consistent approach to the premiums. We want to avoid the surges that employers would face."
- with files from Katie DeRosa, Victoria Times-Colonist
