The federal government has been found in breach of the labour code for failing to protect Parliament Hill interpreters from workplace injuries.
On Feb. 1, a health and safety officer with the federal Labour Program ruled in favour of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees. The union had argued the Translation Bureau was not adequately protecting employees who are working in hybrid settings.
So many interpreters were placed on injury leave last year that the department hired contract workers to make up for the staff shortages. Meanwhile, the department has until March 1 to examine its equipment and report back to the tribunal. "In collaboration with its partners, the Translation Bureau will follow these instructions, which are in line with efforts already in place to protect interpreters," Stefanie Hamel wrote in an email.
House and Senate committee chairs are supposed to ensure that those attending virtually, including both testifying witnesses and participating parliamentarians, are using a headset with a microphone wand.Yet the union's vice-president for translation roles says the issue has persisted because committee chairs are still letting guests, MPs and Senators participate when they ignore the rules.
"We are afraid that there will still be incidents where the interpreters will be wounded and their hearing is affected, and that's not acceptable," said Picotte, who has been a Translation Bureau interpreter since 1987.
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