News Health & Safety
Construction labour groups raise concerns over job site safety amid outbreak

Construction labour groups are raising concerns about working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic as companies and governments respond with a range of strategies.

The Ontario Construction Consortium, a group that advocates for construction workers, has called on the Ontario government to suspend work on construction sites for two weeks to protect workers.

The group’s call on Tuesday comes after Premier Doug Ford deemed much of the construction industry as an essential service and exempt from a forced business shutdown.

The province’s decision is in contrast to Quebec, which on Monday suspended all construction activity except for emergency or security services.

Quebec’s move came after the province’s two man construction unions last week asked Premier Francois Legault to shut down the industry because not enough was being done on job sites to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The B.C. Building Trades Council has also raised concerns over working conditions, but has not yet called for an outright shutdown in the province.