OSH Bill on Hold, But Workers Can Still Sue

The president of the Public Service Union, Dean Flowers, is throwing his support behind the push for a stronger Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Bill, praising the independent senators who spoke out about serious deficiencies in the legislation.

The OSH Bill has been shelved pending a second reading. Flowers told News 5 the senators did an excellent job explaining to Belizeans why certain amendments are needed and why difficult questions still need to be answered before the bill moves forward.

His most pointed message, however, was aimed at workers who may feel unprotected while the bill remains on hold. Flowers reminded Belizeans that legal protection already exists under the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention Act, through which Belize has signed on to several ILO conventions, including those covering occupational safety and health.

Those conventions, he noted, already carry the force of law.

“If anybody is injured at their workplace, they can sue their employer, they can sue the government,” Flowers said. “So I just want to also put that out there without the passage of the OSH itself into law.”