It was announced last week that a task force will be put together by the provincial government in hopes of getting to the bottom of rising premiums in the workers’ compensation system in New Brunswick.
New Brunswick Federation of Labour President Patrick Colford says a lot of injured workers aren’t filing claims because they have a hard enough time living on 100-percent of their wages, let alone 80-percent.
Colford says in the last two years, employers have received roughly $51-million in rebates, while benefits for workers haven’t gotten better since 1992.
In the case of any rebates, Colford thinks it should be divided between employers and those who have been injured on the job.
Colford says he’s disappointed that the provincial government is not letting WorkSafeNB and its board do its job by handling the situation.
He hopes this task force won’t result in more cuts to the benefits of injured workers.
Colford says he’s been trying to meet with Premier Brian Gallant and Labour Minister Donald Arseneault about the issue for years with no luck.
