News release

June 6, 2006

PSAC asking Court to ensure health and safety protection for Parliament Hill workers

OTTAWA - The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) will ask the Federal Court to ensure that the Canadian government provides Parliament Hill workers with the same health and safety protection granted to workers across Canada.

Brian Mulroney was Canada’s Prime minister when Bill C-45, the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act (PESRA), was adopted in 1986.  Part III of that Act contained health and safety protection for Hill workers.  However, 20 years and four Prime Ministers later, Part III has yet to be proclaimed.

“Successive Conservative and Liberal governments have all failed to have Part III of the Act proclaimed, making Parliament Hill workers the only workers in Canada without basic occupational health and safety protection,” says PSAC National Executive Vice-President (NEVP) Patty Ducharme.

“It’s time that Parliament Hill workers have the same rights to health and safety protection as other Canadian workers,” adds Ducharme.  “If this government fails to proclaim Part III soon, we will ask the Court to force them to do so.  It’s a question of justice and a question of fairness.”

Ducharme was on Parliament Hill today at a news conference with PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President for the National Capital Region Ed Cashman, Ontario Federation of Labour President Wayne Samuelson, Liberal MP Denis Coderre, NDP MP Paul Dewar, and Conservative MP and Parliamentary Secretary to the President of Treasury Board, Pierre Poilievre.  The NDP, the Liberal Party and the Bloc Québécois support the right of PSAC members on the Hill to health and safety protection.  Mr. Poilievre has committed to bringing the question to the Conservative Cabinet.

The Canadian Parliament is the only legislature in Canada to refuse to provide its own workers with health and safety protection.  The Canadian government is also the only one of the governments of the G8 countries that denies its workers basic protection.

The PSAC will ask the Court to force the government to proclaim the health and safety provisions contained in the Canada Labour Code as they apply to Parliament Hill workers under Part III of the PESRA. The challenge will be based on Article 7 (right to security of the person) and Article 15 (equality before the law) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom.

For information:
Pierre Lebel, PSAC Communications (613) 560-5482 or (613) 293-4663

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