Harry Bains, Minister of Labour, has issued the following statement:

We all know about or have personally felt the effects of the forestry industry’s downturn over the last few years.

The Ministry of Labour will begin a focused engagement with stakeholders about contract tendering in B.C.’s forestry sector to identify improvements that will support the long-term stability of jobs and economic recovery in the sector.

Temporary foreign workers who come to B.C. to work will be better protected now that the employers who want to hire these workers will be required to register with the Province as of Dec. 15, 2020.

The Province has protected jobs and workers impacted by COVID-19 with an online variance application that simplified the process to extend temporary layoffs, resulting in the approval of more than 500 variances that protect more than 9,100 jobs across a variety of economic sectors.

Harry Bains, Minister of Labour, has appointed Sandra Banister, QC, to conduct a review of layoff and recall rights of unionized workers in British Columbia’s hotel sector as a result of COVID-19.

Workers and employers who need to extend temporary layoffs beyond the Aug. 30, 2020, expiry date are reminded to apply for a variance using the Employment Standards Branch’s new online application by Aug. 25.

Employers and workers who need to extend temporary layoffs due to COVID-19 can more easily apply for a variance using the Employment Standards Branch’s new online application.

Following conversations with business and worker representatives, the Province of British Columbia has extended the temporary layoffs provisions to a maximum of 24 weeks expiring on Aug. 30, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Government is continuing to support cannabis workers and provide greater flexibility in the legal non-medical cannabis industry.