British Columbia Federation of Labour

The B.C. Federation of Labour welcomes the recommendations released this afternoon by a Coroner's jury that was looking into the deaths of three farmworkers who died in a van crash in 2007.

Among the jury's 18 recommendations is a call for public inspections of the vehicles used to transport farmworkers. The jury also recommended that farm owners be responsible for ensuring that the labour contractors they are using provide safe transportation for workers in accordance with all applicable laws.

"The Coroner's jury has given the government a mandate to make farmworkers in BC safer," says Jim Sinclair, President of the B.C. Federation of Labour. "This government has ignored similar recommendations in the past. They must not ignore the recommendations that have come out of this tragedy."

The Federation, like the families of the victims, still wants to know why no criminal charges have been laid despite hearing testimony earlier this week that the RCMP recommended the laying of 33 criminal charges in the van crash.

"We all owe a debt of gratitude to the families of the women killed in this horrible accident. Their courage and determination to seek justice will help make the roads safer, but that will only happen if the government acts on the jury's recommendations," says Sinclair.

"The Coroner's jury has seen a glimpse of the abuse and unsafe working conditions facing farmworkers in our province," Sinclair added. "We still need a full public inquiry into working conditions in the agricultural sector to ensure that farmworkers aren't treated like second class citizens.

For more information: Evan Stewart, Director of Communications (604) 430-1421