The provincial government has announced it’s establishing a task force made up of employer and worker representatives that will operate independently in reviewing workers’ compensation in New Brunswick.
Post-Secondary Education, Training & Labour Minister Donald Arseneault made the announcement Thursday in Fredericton saying that recent calls about rising premiums for businesses have brought the need for discussion about how the system works to the forefront.
READ MORE: New Brunswick business owners concerned over increased WorkSafeNB premiums
“The employees have to recognize that if they want a healthy fund to make sure that we can increase benefits and do what the nurses want, the correction officers want and all the other stakeholders, we have to make sure the fund is sustainable for the future,” Arseneault said.
“It’s a call for action.”
Joel Richardson, vice-president of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association for New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island applauded the government for moving in this direction though he doesn’t downplay the chore ahead for the to be created task force.
“We’ve got to keep the system affordable, it’s got to be managed properly, and we also need to make sure that workers are protected over the long term,” he said.
Arseneault also announced they’ve asked the auditor general to conduct a value-for-money audit of WorkSafeNB.
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