WorkSafeNB Task Force and Request for Premium Cap Step in the Right Direction: CFIB
FREDERICTON– The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) say it welcomed the announcement made Thursday by Donald Arseneault, New Brunswick’s minister of post-secondary education, training and labour, calling for the creation of a WorkSafeNB Task Force, a premium cap in 2018 and a review by the auditor general.
“The request made by the Minister to cap premium increases for 2018 is a step in the right direction,” said Louis-Philippe Gauthier, CFIB director of provincial affairs in a release. “While this will affect the funding position of WorkSafeNB, it is a necessary temporary measure.”
This past week, both CFIB and New Brunswick’s chambers of commerce expressed outrage over the increase in workers’ compensation premiums in the province. CFIB released a report detailing the impact the premium hike has had on small businesses while the chambers launched a letter-writing campaign.
WorkSafeNB rates increased by an average of 33 per cent in 2017. The average assessment rate for New Brunswick employers this year will increase from $1.11 per $100 of payroll to $1.48 per $100 of payroll. According to the WorkSafeNB website, this is the first rate increase since 2010. Over the last six years, the average rate has declined from $2.08 in 2010 to $1.11 in 2016.
New Brunswick’s rates are still currently cheaper than in Nova Scotia and Ontario. In Nova Scotia, the average rate is $2.65 per $100 of payroll. In Ontario, the rate is currently $2.43 on every $100 of payroll.