Foreign workers who help fill labour shortages in a wide range of B.C. sectors will be better protected under a new government licensing requirement for recruiters.

B.C.’s general hourly minimum wage will increase to $13.85 from $12.65, and the minimum wage rates for liquor servers, resident caretakers and live-in camp leaders will all also increase, effective June 1, 2019.

Health care aides, hospital cooks, cleaners and the thousands of people who work behind the scenes to support patient care in B.C.’s health care facilities are being better supported and protected by recent regulatory changes.

New legislation to bolster British Columbia’s employment standards will better protect children and youth from dangerous work, and deliver improved support for workers whose rights have been violated.

Greater protections for workers, job security, labour rights and stability for employers are the focus of amendments to the Labour Relations Code.

Emergency dispatchers, nurses and publicly funded health-care assistants will have easier access to workers’ compensation for mental-health disorders that come from work-related trauma.

Legislative amendments will allow wildfire fighters, fire investigators and firefighters working for First Nations and other Indigenous organizations to gain easier access to workers’ compensation and support services.