Government Improves Workers' Compensation Act

ENVIRONMENT/LABOUR--Government Improves Workers' Compensation Act

Amendments to the Workers' Compensation Act introduced today, Oct. 16, will improve access to benefits and services for injured workers, said Environment and Labour Minister Kerry Morash.

Two of the key changes proposed for the first year will increase the indexing of pensions from 50 to 55 per cent of the Consumer Price Index, and will implement a process to support workers with chronic pain.

"The health and safety of Nova Scotians is a top priority for this government," said Mr. Morash. "We're pleased to be implementing additional recommendations from the Dorsey Report that will strengthen our workplace compensation system for the benefit of injured workers."

The benefits and enhancements will be implemented over four years and are part of a strategic plan to improve Nova Scotia's workplace safety and insurance system. The increased indexing of pensions will lessen the effects of inflation on pension recipients. The government will also make it easier for the Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) to increase the indexing of pensions in the future.

The minister noted that the Supreme Court of Canada provided a clear and straight forward decision on chronic pain. "It has to be treated like any other disease," said Mr. Morash. "The agencies that make up the system will work together to ensure that a streamlined process is developed to deal fairly with those who have chronic pain."

The Dorsey Report was a consensus report produced by an eight- member committee following a review in 2001 of Nova Scotia's workers' compensation system. The committee was chaired by British Columbia lawyer James Dorsey.

Some other improvements that will become effective on Jan. 1, 2004 include:

• establishing a yearly public reporting requirement for each of the four safety and insurance agencies;
• conducting an annual meeting with employers and injured workers;
• continued funding for injured workers associations.

The government has made other improvements to the system over the past year. It moved the education and prevention units of the Department of Environment and Labour's occupational health and safety division to the WCB to make the board more accountable for health and safety prevention initiatives. Government increased supplementary benefits by more than $2,000 for each worker, and has tied future increases to changes in the average industrial wage for Nova Scotia. It also introduced legislation to allow access to WCB benefits for paid and volunteer firefighters who contract specific cancers on the job.

Mr. Morash said the new improvements, like earlier measures, "were developed following extensive consultation with labour organizations, injured worker groups, and employers."