Ontario chamber urges government to immediately repeal Bill 148

Business group wants minimum wage to remain at $14 an hour

Ontario chamber urges government to immediately repeal Bill 148
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is pictured during his swearing-in ceremony in Toronto, on June 29. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce is calling on the provincial government to immediately repeal labour reforms introduced by Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces Better Jobs Act, 2017.

In a press release issued today, chamber president Rocco Rossi said the employment standards reform conducted by the previous Liberal government was “too much, too fast.”

“Businesses across the province are experiencing real consequences from this legislation’s lack of stakeholder consultation and unrealistic implementation timelines,” he said.

He called on Premier Doug Ford to fulfil his pledge to help the province become open for business.

“This begins with the reversal of Bill 148,” said Rossi.

To back its appeal, the chamber plans to showcase business testimonials regarding legislative impacts over the coming weeks.

The chamber also supports keeping the provincial minimum wage at $14 an hour.

Ontario’s business community must be appropriately consulted, and a comprehensive economic impact analysis needs to be completed for any future proposed changes to employment legislation, said Rossi.

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