May 1, 2025
Statement by MFL President Kevin Rebeck in response to WCB’s announced $122 million surplus:
With Manitoba’s worker compensation employer premiums already being the lowest in the country, Manitoba’s unions are disappointed that the Workers Compensation Board (WCB) is choosing to distribute $122 million in rebates to employers when there are very clear needs for the WCB to do much more to prevent workplace injuries and deaths.
This payout to employers is being made even though injury rates in Manitoba have increased over the last five years. And shockingly, employers will receive this rebate regardless of their safety record. This means that the workplaces that saw workers die on the job last year will receive the same kind of rebate as employers who take workplace health and safety more seriously. This provides no incentive for employers to improve their workplace health and safety standards.
This announced surplus is coming to light just days after the National Day of Mourning, where we marked 18 workplace-related deaths and 25,000 workplace related injuries suffered by Manitobans in 2024. Workplace injuries in health care and public services have been climbing steadily, requiring urgent investments in stronger prevention programs in those areas.
We are concerned that the NDP government is touting this payout as some sort of business support program. Last time I checked, the WCB does not have a mandate to provide business subsidies or economic development support. Instead, the WCB’s job is to keep workers safe and to support workers and their families with workplace injuries and deaths.
This surplus would be better spent on preventing workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths, as well as supporting injured workers.