For four years, the Employers’ Council has been working in partnership with Canadian Manufacturing and Exporters NL Division (CME-NL) and the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) to establish a Manufacturing & Processing Safety Sector Council (MPSSC) for the industry. After significant work by the Employers’ Council and our partners, multiple challenges, and bumps in the road, this sector council was announced last week.
WorkplaceNL has approved $1.5 million, over five years, for CME NL to create the MPSSC. The funding proposal brings together employer and labour representatives in the industry to jointly oversee the council, and includes a sub-committee for fish processing.
The Employers’ Council works in partnership with WorkplaceNL and the NL Federation of Labour (NLFL) to establish industry specific safety sector councils in Newfoundland & Labrador. Sector Council’s bring together employers and labour representatives to share best practices, develop common prevention initiatives, and promote safe working environments in high-risk industries in Newfoundland and Labrador.
CME-NL will provide oversight and support to the MPSSC, which should increase accountability and improve involvement of the industry. This initiative shows significant promise to reduce the injury rate and premiums in these industries. A reduction in injury rates in these sectors will be of benefit to the entire worker’s compensation system.
Both processors and representatives from the Fish Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW) will participate in the sub-committee who will develop initiatives to improve safety in the fish processing sector. The inclusion of this subcommittee is an achievement that required a lot of work and negotiation on the part of our organization and others.
The Employers’ Council congratulates our partners at the Federation of Labour, FFAW, ASP and CME-NL on the approval of this proposal.
Members interested in more information on this council can contact Safety Sector Advisor, Andrew Pike at apike@nlec.nf.ca.
