Compensation not fail-proof: labour leader

"It's become an insurance policy for employers against being sued by their employees or their families for criminal negligence,"

The workers' compensation system in place since the early 1900s isn't the failproof safety net it was intended to be, says one labour leader.

"It's become an insurance policy for employers against being sued by their employees or their families for criminal negligence," said Larry Hubich, president of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour.

When a worker is injured on a job site, compensation administered by the Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board kicks in. The agency pays for medical treatment of the injuries incurred at work and for retraining. It also provides income replacement.

The compensation system is a mixed blessing, says University of Saskatchewan law Prof. Beth Bilson. Workers who are off the job for a short period of time are guaranteed replacement wages during their recovery. Bilson says to have to go to court to recoup those wages would be costly and time-consuming, and many people would not be able to afford the legal fees.

But workers who are permanently disabled often have a different experience.

"Individuals who find themselves in that situation are doomed to a life of perpetual poverty," said Hubich.

Workers' compensation only guarantees wages comparable to those at the time of injury and while the benefits are indexed, they do not reflect potential loss of future earnings. This is especially difficult for young people injured on the job, he says.

© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007