Human Resources Legislative Update

Mandatory Retirement Legislation For Firefighters Ordered for Third Reading as Amended

Human Resources Legislative Update

Mandatory Retirement Legislation For Firefighters Ordered for Third Reading as Amended

Date: May 20, 2011

On May 19, 2011, Bill 181, the Fire Protection and Prevention Amendment Act, 2011, was ordered for Third Reading after being reported as amended by the Standing Committee on General Government.

The Committee amended the “Reasonable Accommodation” provision found in section 2 of the Bill to provide as follows:

53.1(4) A firefighter shall not be required to retire if the firefighter can be accommodated without undue hardship, considering the cost, outside sources of funding, if any, and health and safety requirements, if any.

As previously reported, Bill 181 would, if passed, amend the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 to provide for the mandatory retirement at age 60 of firefighters regularly assigned to fire suppresion duties, in certain circumstances, and impose a duty of fair representation on bargaining agents in respect of firefighters in the unit, whether or not they are members of the bargaining agent.