BC construction unions welcome the announcement as a step forward in promoting trades as an atrractive career option.
Premier David Eby has announced the BC government will legally require flush toilets on construction sites of 25 workers or more.
Once enacted, the requirement for flushing toilets with running water will improve the lives of construction workers across the province.
“We will be bringing in a legal requirement for flush toilets on job sites with 25 employees or more,” said Eby at the BC Building Trades constitutional convention in Victoria.
“If we want people to work in the trades, if we want to show people that this is a great way to support your family and build your community, the basic ability to go to a bathroom that doesn’t stink, that isn’t a mess, where you can flush a toilet, is a basic requirement for a decent job site.”
While full details of the plan are in development, the BC Building Trades is celebrating the premier’s promise to deliver flush toilets for construction workers.
“We are excited about the premier’s responsiveness to this important issue,” said Brynn Bourke, executive director of the BC Building Trades Council, which represents more than 40,000 unionized construction workers.
“With the premier’s help, construction workers across the province will have markedly better sanitary conditions on site. They’ll also be given the dignity they deserve at work.”
The BC Building Trades recently re-launched its ‘Get Flushed’ campaign to an onslaught of media coverage and far-reaching discussions on social media.
“The extent to which the flush toilet campaign was covered in the media and the intensity of the discussion that followed really proves that this is an important issue that requires action from government now, and clearly the premier agrees,” said Bourke.
The BC Building Trades will continue to work with government to ensure the forthcoming requirements deliver the washrooms facilities construction workers deserve.
The ‘Get Flushed’ campaign was initially launched following significant health and safety concerns in the construction industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information, visit getflushed.ca ■
