Friday, May 9, 2014

The Legacy of Westray

Today is the anniversary of the Westray mine disaster in Pictou County. On May 9th, 1992, 26 coal miners died in the worst mining incident in the country since Springhill in 1958. Years later with the passing of Bill C-45 - known as the Westray Bill - in 2004, Canada has some of the strongest health and safety laws in the world. However, Nova Scotia Federation of Labour President Rick Clarke says they're not used enough nor fully embraced.



Clarke says its time to send a strong message to employers that the health and safety of their workers is their top priority. To date, there has not been a single prosecution under the legislation.