Legislative Amendments To Enhance Protection Of Farm Workers

Bill 13, the Labour and Citizen’s Services Statutes Amendment Act, 2008, was introduced to enhance the protection of farm workers in the Province of British Columbia.  The new Bill, which received first reading on March 13, 2008, would provide a number of changes to the Employment Standards Act including the following:

• Prohibit the use of farm labour contractors unless licensed;
• Provide for the suspension or cancellation of a farm labour contractor’s license in the case of safety violations; and
• Impose an obligation on farm labour contractors to pay an administrative fee, as well as the cost of alternative transportation, where unsafe transportation is provided for employees.

The full-text of Bill 13 can be viewed online at: http://www.leg.bc.ca/38th4th/1st_read/gov13-1.htm.