Quebec releases aid to reduce accidents among foreign workers

Photo: Jacques Boissinot The Canadian Press Quebec Labor Minister Jean Boulet

Isabelle Porter in Quebec

Published yesterday at 2:00 p.m. Updated yesterday at 5:58 p.m.

• Quebec

Non-unionized workers in Quebec, particularly those who come from abroad to work in the fields during the summer, now have access to new resources and training in occupational health and safety.

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Concretely, organizations that help the most vulnerable workers can now obtain funding to offer training in this area, which was not always possible before. This measure affects foreign workers, but also young people, women and older workers.

To achieve this, the Minister of Labor, Jean Boulet, had to rework to its update of the Occupational Health and Safety Act adopted in 2021. The relaxations have just come into force.

In recent months, Mr. Boulet had been contacted by groups demanding additional resources for non-unionized workers, namely the Union of Injured or Sick Workers (UTTAM), the Center for Immigrant Workers (CTI), the Intervention Council for Women's Access to Work (CIAFT) and the Assistance Network for Migrant Agricultural Workers of Quebec (RATTMAQ).

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The latter said they observed on the ground that workers were unaware of their rights and were reluctant to defend themselves for fear of losing their jobs, revealed Radio-Canada in April.

The minister du Travail has since decided to review the eligibility criteria for training funded by the Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST): organizations will have access to it “even if their mission does not does not only concern occupational health and safety,” his ministry said in a press release.