The B.C. government91裸聊视频檚 latest review of WorkSafeBC policies and payouts has taken a left turn toward recommendations made by organized labour a decade ago, B.C.91裸聊视频檚 large business organizations say.

Employer groups including the Business Council of B.C., the B.C. Construction Association and the B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association wrote to retired labour lawyer Janet Patterson, the head of the B.C. government91裸聊视频檚 review Wednesday. They said the 91裸聊视频渟elected issues91裸聊视频� chosen by Patterson for review exceed the mandate they were expecting and match closely with her report 10 years ago commissioned by the B.C. Federation of Labour.

91裸聊视频淭he employer community is quite taken aback and dismayed with the extremely broad and far-reaching scope of these 91裸聊视频榮elected issues,91裸聊视频� and after giving the matter due consideration and consulting with various representatives of the employer community, we have determined that we have no choice but to cease all participation in the review91裸聊视频檚 process, effective immediately,91裸聊视频� wrote Doug Alley of the Employers91裸聊视频� Forum, representing the 46 business groups.

After the review was announced this spring, Labour Minister Harry Bains assured the Council of Construction Associations in June that it was narrow and focused on improving worker navigation of injury claims and improve performance, 91裸聊视频渘ot to make wholesale changes to the workers91裸聊视频� compensation system91裸聊视频� that employers fund, the letter states.

But a memo to employers last week listing the 91裸聊视频渟elected issues91裸聊视频� shows that they were contained in a 2009 report co-authored by Patterson entitled 91裸聊视频淎dding Insult to Injury.91裸聊视频� The B.C. Federation of Labour91裸聊视频檚 submission to the current review in July called for the 2009 report to be considered.

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91裸聊视频淲e were willing to participate in a balanced an impartial process to review the system,91裸聊视频� Richard Truscott, B.C. and Alberta vice president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said in a statement Wednesday. 91裸聊视频淗owever, the writing has been on the wall from the very beginning that the review lacked objectivity.91裸聊视频�

The 46 employer organizations made their own initial submission to Patterson in July, questioning terms such as 91裸聊视频済ender-based analysis91裸聊视频� and moving to a 91裸聊视频渨orker-centric delivery model91裸聊视频� that were not clearly defined.

WorkSafeBC is responsible for 45,000 sick or injured workers and more than 4,000 spouses and children who depend on pension payments. It administers an insurance system paid into by 238,000 B.C. employers, where workers give up their right to sue employers for negligence in exchange for no-fault compensation that is independently administered.

Reviewing WorkSafeBC was one of the terms of the B.C. Green Party agreement to support the minority NDP government in 2017.

tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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