Montano: Some sections of OSHA to be proclaimed

He said yesterday he was moving expeditiously to have some sections of the Occupation Safety and Health Bill proclaimed. "Government is not backing away (from the Act). It is walking fully into it," he stated. Montano said from his reading, some parts of the Act could be promulgated, while others would have to be amended. He could give no timetable for this, however, saying he was still reading the Bill and trying to understand the dynamics of the situation.

Montano said he had given this assurance to the major trade unions — OWTU, PSA, ATSGWTU, SWWTU and CGWTU — that Government was fully committed to the implementation of OSHA, and they seemed to be satisfied with this position. Montano said he also met with the ECA, which stated that while it would like to see the Act proclaimed, there were some reservations.

"The Prime Minister keeps putting me in position where urgent attention and management skills are needed," he said. Montano said he will be meeting today with the people in his ministry who are responsible for putting the mechanisms in place to facilitate proclamation of the Act. With respect to Wednesday’s tragedy, he said Ministry of Labour officials have already visited the site and were conducting an investigation, and will be filing a report on the matter.