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BC Liberals speak against motion to restore farmworkers' rights
April 25, 2007
Presented with an opportunity to stand up for farmworkers, five BC Liberal MLA’s spoke against a motion introduced in the provincial Legislature by NDP MLA Raj Chouhan. The NDP motion called for the restoration of farmworkers’ rights to full Employment Standards, and stronger enforcement of health and safety laws.
Given the rules of the Legislature and BC Liberal opposition to the motion, it’s unlikely Chouhan’s motion will return to the floor of the Legislature for continued debate or a vote. To read yesterday's debate click here.
"With the harvest season fast approaching, these actions are key to ensuring safety and the required protections for B.C.’s farm workers," said Chouhan, a founder of the Canadian Farmworkers Union. "But once again when the moment to act arrived, the B.C. Liberals refused to act."
On March 7, 2007 three women farmworkers, Amarjit Bal, Sarbjit Cheema and Sukhwinder Punia were killed when the van transporting them to work crashed on Highway 1, east of Abbotsford, BC. One of the women injured in the crash, Manjit Rai, shared her story with CBC.
This Saturday the labour movement will be commemorating the Day of Mourning, to honour workers killed or injured on the job. This year’s ceremony will feature family members of the women killed in the farmworker van crash. For more information on Saturday’s event click here.
