Adeline Adkinson: Several Ontario workers are attempting to refuse work because of COVID-19 anxieties– yet the government isn’t letting them (Toronto Celebrity).

From the Toronto Star – Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, workers who fear contracting the virus have filed more than 200 work refusals. But the Ontario Ministry of Labour has not upheld a single one, after quietly establishing an internal committee to oversee inspectors’ enforcement efforts during the pandemic, the Star has learned.

Work refusals in Ontario spiked to a high point in mid-March, when there were 83 in a single week. It’s a significant increase from January and February, when the province averaged less than four work refusals a week according to ministry data.

In total, there have been 213 COVID-19 related work stoppages from workers who believed their jobs presented a danger to their health. None met the ministry’s criteria for a work refusal, spokesperson Janet Deline said.