The Canadian Labour Congress applauded approval of the "Westray bill" that will allow criminal prosecution of employers that are found negligent in causing death or injury in the workplace.

"This is a long overdue victory for workers and their families all across Canada," said CLC Secy.-Treas. Hassan Yussuff. "It is now the law of the land that corporations and their principals will be held criminally liable for negligence causing death or injury in the workplace."

"No law is ever perfect," Yussuff said, "but this one introduces a new level of accountability. It is a great initial step forward that we now have a law on criminal liability for negligence in the workplace."

Bill C-45, an Act to Amend the Criminal Code (Liability of Organizations), was named after the Westray mine disaster of May 9, 1992, in which 26 miners were killed in Stellarton, Nova Scotia. Despite findings of investigations on the cause of the tragedy, neither the corporation nor its officers were brought to justice.

The CLC thanked the government and Minister of Justice Martin Cauchon for endorsing the principles of the bill and making it the law. The CLC also thanked the families of the Westray miners, the United Steelworkers, and the New Democratic Party "for the final success of a decade of steadfast political work."