Liberals could be doing more to protect rail workers

NDP Transport Critic Taylor Bachrach made the following statement:

“The Liberal government’s decision to audit Canadian Pacific’s safety practices confirms that their hands-off approach to regulating safety has allowed the big rail corporations to neglect standards and endanger workers unnecessarily. No worker should have to worry about their wellbeing or their lives while at work.

Big railway corporations have contributed to an environment where employees are exposed to unnecessary safety risks, which is unacceptable.

For seven years, the Liberals have had the chance to stand up to big railway corporations that neglect their workplace safety duties and inspection requirements. This should have been corrected sooner.

The Minister of Transport has finally acknowledged there is a problem with rail safety regulations in Canada with the recent announcement to audit Canadian Pacific’s Safety Management System but more needs to be done. The audit is a welcomed first step but only touches the surface. It doesn’t address the fundamental issues with big rail corporations – like corporate rail police investigating their own companies’ wrongdoings. It is clear that there is a need for fundamental reform of how the government enforces safety standards at the big rail companies.

New Democrats will keep working to protect people – not big railway corporations. We will fight for the Liberals to hold CP railway accountable and for there to be more safety oversight so that no more lives are lost.”