Labour and business leaders from Ontarioโs construction sector have thanked the province for helping to keep workers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Patrick J. Dillon, business manager at the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario and Geoff Smith, president and CEO of EllisDon, commended the governmentโs quick and effective actions since the global pandemic broke which, they said, helped keep construction workers safe in an open letter to Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Monte McNaughton.
โThe result of all this work has been an extremely small number of COVID-19 cases โ less than 20 by everyoneโs count โ on hundreds of worksites across the province,โ they wrote.
โYour ministry and the industry leaders got to work to ensure that those few rogues that didnโt meet the industry guidelines were shut down, and that everyone else could continue working safely.โ
The letter also said the governmentโs guidance for the sector as well as its support for increased health and safety inspections helped the construction industry immensely.
In response, McNaughton praised labour and businesses in the construction sector for their shared commitment to promoting health and safety in their workplaces.
โConstruction is the lifeblood of our economy,โ he said in the Sarnia and Lambton County this week newspaper. โWhen the COVID-19 global pandemic struck Ontario, the provinceโs construction sector rose to the challenge. The fact that Ontarioโs construction sector has experienced such a small number of COVID-19 cases is truly remarkable.โ
The ongoing success of the provinceโs construction sector is a positive sign that others can use as an example going forward, McNaughton said.
โWe are in a time of firsts,โ he is quoted as saying in the newsaper.
โOur roadmap is being drafted collectively, with labour, businesses and government all playing an important role. While there are still many unknowns, I have great confidence that our work together will result in safer workplaces for everyone.โ