BURNABY, B.C. – The Hospital Employees’ Union (HEU) has spoken out against the B.C. Liberal government’s promise to pay WorkSafeBC’s budget surplus to employers. In a March 29 news release, the union called the plan “short-sighted” and accused the government of “turning its back on injured workers.” HEU secretary-business manager Jennifer Whiteside said in a press statement that those funds would be better used for safety education, violence prevention and better enforcement of health and safety regulations. “In the healthcare sector, and especially in residential care homes, injury rates from strains and from violence are unacceptably high and overwhelmingly impact women,” said Whiteside. “The B.C. Liberals are gifting surpluses to employers with no strings attached – no requirement that those funds be used to make workplaces safer. Meanwhile, care home staff are being injured at a rate four times the provincial average – and that’s unacceptable.” The HEU represents about 46,000 hospital employees across the province, according to information from the union.