More Protection for Manitoba Agricultural Workers

MFL welcomes Employment Standards changes involving agricultural workers - but more needs to be done.

Changes to the Manitoba Employment Standards Code announced on January 31 contain a new definition of an agricultural worker and include a number of provisions to better protect workers in the agricultural sector. In the case of workers who work in climate controlled environments, such as hog barns and greenhouses, they will be covered by the Employment Standards Code in its entirety. Other, non-family farm employees will receive "core" coverage, such as the right to receive minimum wage and unpaid leaves such as maternity, parental and family responsibility leave.

The revised Code also covers things such as standard hours of work and overtime, termination notice, child-employment protection, and restrictions on payroll deductions. The new regulations come into force June 30.

MFL President Darlene Dziewit welcomes the changes, but views these changes as only the first step. She hopes that further coverage will come, once employers understand and get used to these new changes.

She says that the changes of particular importance are "those regulations protecting workers safety, child labour protection, a weekly day of rest and the right to breaks. Farms are dangerous places to work, and these changes recognize that fact. Now the government needs to turn its mind to covering agriculture workers for Workers Compensation."