Businesses Province-Wide Call on Labour Minister to Urgently Act to Avoid More Employee Terminations and Forced Small Business Bankruptcies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

JUNE 22, 2020, VANCOUVER:

“In a letter to BC’s leading business organizations dated June 18, Minister Bains refuses to extend the temporary lay-off time limits. The letter was issued the day after Premier Horgan’s pledge to listen to and get input from British Columbians on rebuilding our province – together. The Minister’s lack of appreciation for the dire situation facing thousands of small businesses and not-for-profits calls into question the sincerity of the government’s overture to listen to British Columbians.

The business community is extremely disappointed and calls upon Minister Bains to immediately revisit his decision and to extend the temporary layoff time limits to August 31, 2020. This would bring BC into line with the federal government’s recent Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) extension and temporary layoff time limit amendments made recently in other provinces to facilitate recovery from COVID-19. Business leaders have also called upon Minister Bains to provide an additional six weeks once emergency orders are lifted to help facilitate a smooth restart for businesses partially operating or closed due to COVID-19.”

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