The Ontario government says it will raise compensation for workers injured on the job, but the proposed change won’t take effect until after the provincial election.
The Progressive Conservatives say they are directing the Workplace Safety Insurance Board to come up with a plan to increase payments to 90 per cent of pre-accident take-home pay.
Injured workers are currently paid 85 per cent of their pre-accident pay.
Labour Minister Monte McNaughton, who is set to announce the plan today, says the government is making the move worth about $1 billion now that there is a surplus of funds at the WSIB.
He says inflation is affecting everyone and workers deserve to be compensated fairly.
A legislative amendment will be needed to set the new compensation rate.
The government says it would introduce that amendment in the fall, meaning workers could start seeing increases in 2023 if the Tories form government again.
The announcement comes as the province sends out rebates to employers from surplus WSIB funds, which the government announced earlier this year.
The plan to raise compensation is also the latest in a series of worker-friendly government moves ahead of the June election.
All the major parties have promised to further raise the minimum wage if elected.
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