Minister Continues Dialogue with Industry on Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Matters

  • Service NL

August 7, 2018

The Honourable Sherry Gambin-Walsh, Minister of Service NL and Minister Responsible for WorkplaceNL, attended a meeting yesterday in Gander of the Fish Food and Allied Workers (FFAW) Industrial/Retail/Offshore Council. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss workplace health, safety and compensation issues in the fishery, hospitality and fabrication industries, including recent changes to the workplace compensation system.

Within the past several months, the income replacement rate for injured workers was increased from 80 to 85 per cent of their pre-injury (before tax) net income. Additionally, WorkplaceNL modernized its mental stress policy to recognize that work-related mental stress issues may be caused by exposure to multiple traumatic events. The policy now includes events that are an inherent part of an occupation such as first responders witnessing fatalities.

The meeting also supported the five-year workplace injury prevention strategy launched earlier this year by WorkplaceNL and the Occupational Health and Safety Division of Service NL, after consultation with injury prevention partners. The strategy encourages collaboration with all workplace parties and safety partners to build a strong safety culture in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The workplace injury rate in the province has declined 29 per cent over the last decade, and has plateaued at an all-time low of 1.5 per 100 workers for the past three years. Continued engagement with organizations that represent high-risk industries is a step forward in helping to reduce the rate even further.

Quotes
“Yesterday, I met with the FFAW’s offshore, retail industrial council to discuss important workplace health and safety issues. The lost-time injury rate in fish processing is more than double the provincial rate, which is deeply concerning. Working together, we can find solutions to the many health and safety challenges found in fish processing plants throughout the province.”
Honourable Sherry Gambin-Walsh
Minister of Service NL and Minister Responsible for WorkplaceNL

“Safe and healthy workplaces is a priority for all FFAW-Unifor members, many of whom live and work in rural communities. For our Industrial-Retail-Offshore members, fish processing continues to lag behind other sectors when it comes to significant, long-term safety issues. We appreciate the opportunity to engage directly with Minister Gambin-Walsh and look forward to continuing to work with her and WorkplaceNL to ensure every worker gets home safe at the end of the day.”
Keith Sullivan
FFAW-Unifor President

– 30 –

Learn more
Advancing a Strong Safety Culture in Newfoundland and Labrador 

Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Act Changes Will Increase Income Replacement Rate for Injured Workers in Province

New policy broadens coverage for work-related traumatic mental health issues 

Follow us on Twitter: @GovNL  and @ServiceNL_ 

Media contact
Krista Dalton
Service NL
709-729-4748, 685-6492
kristadalton@gov.nl.ca

Courtney Glode
FFAW-Unifor
709-576-7276
cglode@ffaw.net

2018 08 07 10:30 am