City
Morning Brew: Carjacking Story Fabricated, Airport Taxi Rule Changes, Religious Rite vs. Workplace Safety, Wasp Population Boom
Photo: "It Approaches" by Jen M32, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.
What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):
Remember a couple of weeks ago, when a woman from New Brunswick claimed to have been forced to drive all the way to Toronto at gunpoint? It sounded like a really terrifying and traumatic experience. Police are now saying that it was nothing more than a fabricated story. Charges haven't been laid, but public mischief is what she'll likely face... and rightly so, in my opinion. What a waste of police resources and time!
Unexpected changes have come to the way airport taxis can operate, and have cabbies and politicians calling foul. An amendment to the rules was passed with little scrutiny, allowing airport taxis to pick up fares in the city (en route back to the airport). But city taxis taking passengers to the airport still aren't able to pick up fares at the airport without them being pre-booked or paying the airport a $10 fee. Sounds rather unfair to me. And all of this has a victim rarely discussed - the air quality in our city and suburbs.
A Milton Home Depot manager and a Sikh security guard are in a court battle that is seeing the guard's religious beliefs pitted against safety concerns, and calls into question the requirement for sensitivity to religious beliefs in the workplace. This is one of those cases that makes me wonder if there's opportunity for a business entrepreneur to capitalize on a situation... by manufacturing safety equipment (i.e. hard hats) that can accommodate religious head dressings like turbans. Has anyone done this, or is it not feasible?
An unmarked police car, driven by an on-duty police officer, hit a 13-year old boy who was skateboarding across the street on a red light at Keele and Glenlake yesterday afternoon. The SIU was called in to investigate, but I'm not sure that they'll confirm anything more than what it appears to be - a bad-timing accident. I'm sure that both the boy and the officer are wishing they could turn back time and have another chance to approach the intersection with more caution.
And apparently a mild winter last year is in part responsible for the surge in wasp population this summer. I haven't noticed more than usual (yet), nor to I have much of a problem with them (since I'm not allergic to their stings), but I am wondering what "more [is] to come" from the 680News report.
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"THE EMPLOYMENT ACT 1989 - SIKHS AND HEAD PROTECTION
20 Section 11(1) of the Act exempts a follower of the Sikh religion from any legal requirement to wear a safety helmet while on a construction site ("any place where building operations or works of engineering construction are being undertaken"), provided that he is wearing a turban. Accordingly, turban-wearing Sikhs do not have to comply with any duty under reg 6 to wear head protection on construction sites (nor with the general duty under HSW Act s.7 in the same respects.)
21 Section 11(2) of the Act also exempts Sikhs and any other persons from any legal requirements connected with the wearing, provision or maintenance of safety helmets in relation to Sikhs on construction sites. Hence, employers and other persons in control of workers are relieved of their duties to a Sikh under regs 3, 4 and 5 provided that the Sikh is wearing a turban. In the same way, they are exempted from like duties under HSW Act ss.2, 3 and 4
22 Section 11(4) and 11(6) sets out the civil liability position when the above exemptions are in operation, and Section 12 protects Sikhs from racial discrimination in connection with requirements to wear safety helmets. These aspects of the Act are dealt with by the Department for Education and Employment, not HSE
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However it may be possible for a Sikh to wear a hard hat if they are prepared to wear a Pakta in place of their traditional Turban, this cannot be forced, but I have found that by explaining what you wish to achieve and asking for their comments (positive and negative), and listening to what they have to say you can reach a mutually satisfactory agreement.
Also means that their cultural beliefs are still respected."
And have you ever noticed how much they seem to like meat? I saw one crawl around on my plate then leave with a chunk of pulled pork!
I'm not allergic either but I sure as hell don't want to get stung. I try my best to stay away from them, ignore them, all that but it's getting difficult!
Are we still allowed to call people that?
why should I pay for his stupidity?
Didnt post the first comment.
I wouldnt pay for either ones bills.
If your religion makes it impossible for you to do a job, then that's your problem. Not too many seriously religious people are stripping, bartending, etc. You don't see many Orthodox Jews running pig roasts. The government shouldn't be getting involved and it shouldn't be possible to take people to court (real court or fake human rights tribunal) over these disputes.
As for the whole taxi/limo debate, all the more reason to get that long-overdue rapid transit line going into there.
its his decision to not follow the heath and saftey act, he's breaking the law out of stupidity.
He did have a gentleman apply for a position once without a turban only to show up for work wearing one. No sure what happened with that issue, but he decided that in the future he won't hire anyone that looks like they may wear a turban.
Now this gentleman hangs out with diverse people socially, and is willing to work with pretty much anyone of any sexual orientation and skin colour if no special legal issues arise.
Does this system of tribunals and religious exceptions encourage discrimination ? Sure seems so.
There's always the swatting method, but sometimes I miss and then duck. This morning I aimed my vacuum cleaner at two little fuckers and hoped that they couldn't fly back out pissed off. Moments later a beer glass fell off the dish drainer and smashed on the floor, causing me to reach for the vacuum cleaner. I figure that if the wasps hadn't already suffocated, the glass shards would have impaled them.