NDP Leader Howard Hampton today repeatedly grilled the McGuinty government for its inaction on improving Ontario’s workplace health and safety legislation.

“On this Day of Mourning in memory of workers who have been killed or injured on the job, in a province where there are more than 300 workplace fatalities every year, I simply see no evidence that this government understands the human tragedy of this situation nor feels any urgency to do something about it,” said Hampton.

Hampton pointed to the fact that 1.3-million Ontario workers still do not receive coverage through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and that the perverse “Experience Rating” program, which rewards companies with multi-million dollar rebates even if they have had workplace fatalities, remains in existence.

“Workers across Ontario are being treated like second-class citizens,” said Hampton, pointing to those who are not covered by the WSIB.

“And those who are covered and suffer terrible injuries or death on the job, have their negligent employers receive huge pay-outs through the fatally flawed ‘Experience Rating’ program.”

The McGuinty government has now had more than four years to address both of these concerns. A government report issued in late 2003 called for all workers to be covered under the WSIB, while New Democrats and labour activists have repeatedly called for the elimination of the “Experience Rating” program.

“This government’s inaction on these two issues makes a mockery of workers who have been seriously injured or killed. Quite clearly, Dalton McGuinty is more interested in siding with employers, not workers, said Hampton.