首先说明,我的英语不好,说得不对的,大家多担待。所整理的,供参考,也不够法律意见,我也没那水平和资质,所有的选择,请大家自行决策,责任自负。
一、安省人权法案和劳工法存在交叉,发生具体争议的时候,根据实际情况选择所适用的法律
比如歧视和欺凌,Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19 的 PART I FREEDOM FROM DISCRIMINATION,尤其在sec.5规了工作场所中的discrimination、harassment,并且在sec.8、sec.9规定了禁止对维权行为的reprisal,在遭受reprisal之后可以通过诉讼维权。Occupational Health and Safety Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.1 sec.1(1)规定了workplace harassment的定义,sec.55.3(1)规定了劳工部调查员有权命令雇主委任独立第三方调查harassment是否存在的事实(因为安省劳工部不负责调查事实)并由雇主承担费用;32.0.1、32.0.6、32.0.7规定了雇主防范、处置workplace harassment的义务,66 (1) 规定了雇主违反workplace harassment的防范、处置及其他义务所应承担的行政责任(Penalties,主要是罚款。至于受害人的要求赔偿的权利,68 (1)规定了针对相应的违法行为,可以起诉,可以通过诉讼的方式提出来。
在存在交叉的情况下,比如上面的workplace harassment,我个人的看法是,劳工法属于特别法,应当优先予以适用,而不能是针对一个行为,同时依据人权法案、劳工法发起法律程序。我好像记得,以前在哪里看到过,说如果是其他机关处理相关事宜更合适的话,人权法案相关的机构是不受理的,一时找不到了,暂时先不管了。
二、主要的维权渠道
(一)人权法案
1、人权委员会不负责具体案件,具体案件的投诉不要找人权委员会
人权法案sec.29规定了人权委员会(The Ontario Human Rights Commission)的职责:
The functions of the Commission are to promote and advance respect for human rights in Ontario, to protect human rights in Ontario and, recognizing that it is in the public interest to do so and that it is the Commission’s duty to protect the public interest, to identify and promote the elimination of discriminatory practices and, more specifically,
(a) to forward the policy that the dignity and worth of every person be recognized and that equal rights and opportunities be provided without discrimination that is contrary to law;
(b) to develop and conduct programs of public information and education to,
(i) promote awareness and understanding of, respect for and compliance with this Act, and
(ii) prevent and eliminate discriminatory practices that infringe rights under Part I;
(c) to undertake, direct and encourage research into discriminatory practices and to make recommendations designed to prevent and eliminate such discriminatory practices;
(d) to examine and review any statute or regulation, and any program or policy made by or under a statute, and make recommendations on any provision, program or policy that in its opinion is inconsistent with the intent of this Act;
(e) to initiate reviews and inquiries into incidents of tension or conflict, or conditions that lead or may lead to incidents of tension or conflict, in a community, institution, industry or sector of the economy, and to make recommendations, and encourage and co-ordinate plans, programs and activities, to reduce or prevent such incidents or sources of tension or conflict;
(f) to promote, assist and encourage public, municipal or private agencies, organizations, groups or persons to engage in programs to alleviate tensions and conflicts based upon identification by a prohibited ground of discrimination;
(g) to designate programs as special programs in accordance with section 14;
(h) to approve policies under section 30;
(i) to make applications to the Tribunal under section 35;
(j) to report to the people of Ontario on the state of human rights in Ontario and on its affairs;
(k) to perform the functions assigned to the Commission under this or any other Act. 2006, c. 30, s. 4.
用人权委员会给我的回信来说,对于具体案件under the Ontario Human Rights Code, individuals who feel that they have been discriminated against can commence an application before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, which is separate from the OHRC.
但是,根据人权委员会的上述职责,社会公众,包括个人,对于自身觉得应当引起人权委员会关注、调查的人权问题,可以向人权委员会提出申请,申请最简单的就是发邮件(邮箱是info@ohrc.on.ca),说明情况,提出证据。但是申请,是否发起调查,人权委员会有绝对权力。用ta们的话来说:The OHRC receives many requests from the public to intervene in individual HRTO applications and cannot accommodate every request. The OHRC’s decision on whether to intervene in a given matter is guided by its Litigation and Inquiry Strategy.
人权委员会网站上列出来的,涉及华人的我看到的调查报告是:《人权委员会就针对亚裔加拿大人钓鱼客遇袭事件 展开调查以来所取得进展的报告》https://www.ohrc.on.ca/zh-hans/%E4%BA%BA%E6%9D%83%E5%A7%94%E5%91%98%E4%BC%9A%E5%B0%B1%E9%92%88%E5%AF%B9%E4%BA%9A%E8%A3%94%E5%8A%A0%E6%8B%BF%E5%A4%A7%E4%BA%BA%E9%92%93%E9%B1%BC%E5%AE%A2%E9%81%87%E8%A2%AD%E4%BA%8B%E4%BB%B6-%E5%B1%95%E5%BC%80%E8%B0%83%E6%9F%A5%E4%BB%A5%E6%9D%A5%E6%89%80%E5%8F%96%E5%BE%97%E8%BF%9B%E5%B1%95%E7%9A%84%E6%8A%A5%E5%91%8A,其他的调查报告,可以在这里看到:https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/our_work/inquiries。
2、个案要找人权法院(the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario)
注意,如果在其他法院已经起诉,还没有判决,不能像人权法院重复起诉:34(11) A person who believes that one of his or her rights under Part I has been infringed may not make an application under subsection (1) with respect to that right if,
(a) a civil proceeding has been commenced in a court in which the person is seeking an order under section 46.1 with respect to the alleged infringement and the proceeding has not been finally determined or withdrawn;
注意,向人权法院起诉的时效限制——1年。除非人权法院认定逾期是善意且对他人不构成不公平。
34 (1) If a person believes that any of his or her rights under Part I have been infringed, the person may apply to the Tribunal for an order under section 45.2,
(a) within one year after the incident to which the application relates; or
(b) if there was a series of incidents, within one year after the last incident in the series. 2006, c. 30, s. 5.
(2) A person may apply under subsection (1) after the expiry of the time limit under that subsection if the Tribunal is satisfied that the delay was incurred in good faith and no substantial prejudice will result to any person affected by the delay. 2006, c. 30, s. 5.
(二)劳工法
1、劳工部(Ministry of Labour)
涉及Employment standards(比如认为雇主违反最低工资、工作时间、休假等)、Workplace health and safety(工作场所不符合安全标准、伤害事故、欺凌、歧视、打击报复等)可以向劳工部投诉,投诉的途径:
Employment Standards Information Centre
webes@ontario.ca
Tel: 416-326-7160
Toll-free: 1-800-531-5551
TTY: 1-866-567-8893
Health and Safety Contact Centre
webohs@ontario.ca
Toll-free: 1-877-202-0008
TTY: 1-855-653-9260
可以要求中文服务。但是,个人体会是,仅仅是中间加一个翻译,在你和接线员直接沟通,效果很差。最好的是,如果自己英文不行,找一个英文好的亲戚朋友。或者就是自己用中文写好,谷歌翻译或者chatgpt翻译成英文,发邮件。这边就是这点好,邮件肯定会给你回复的。
2、劳工关系委员会the Ontario Labour Relations Board(OLRB)
比如在遭受reprisal的情况下,可以向该委员会提出申请仲裁:sec.50(2) 2)Where a worker complains that an employer or person acting on behalf of an employer has contravened subsection (1), the worker may either have the matter dealt with by final and binding settlement by arbitration under a collective agreement, if any, or file a complaint with the Board in which case any rules governing the practice and procedure of the Board apply with all necessary modifications to the complaint. 1998, c. 8, s. 56 (1).
申请仲裁,对于员工来说,比较有利的是,举证责任在雇主:
Occupational Health and Safety Act
Onus of proof
50(5) On an inquiry by the Board into a complaint filed under subsection (2) or a referral made under subsection (2.1), the burden of proof that an employer or person acting on behalf of an employer did not act contrary to subsection (1) lies upon the employer or the person acting on behalf of the employer. R.S.O. 1990, c. O.1, s. 50 (5); 1998, c. 8, s. 56 (2); 2011, c. 11, s. 13 (5).
Labour Relations Act
Sec.96(5) On an inquiry by the Board into a complaint under subsection (4) that a person has been refused employment, discharged, discriminated against, threatened, coerced, intimidated or otherwise dealt with contrary to this Act as to the person’s employment, opportunity for employment or conditions of employment, the burden of proof that any employer or employers’ organization did not act contrary to this Act lies upon the employer or employers’ organization.
Office of the Worker Adviser
50.1 (1) In addition to the functions set out in section 176 of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997, the Office of the Worker Adviser has the functions prescribed for the purposes of this Part, with respect to workers who are not members of a trade union. 2011, c. 11, s. 14.
我的感觉,这个仲裁,类似中国国内的劳动仲裁(估计中国也是学加拿大这些国家的做法)。对于仲裁裁决,任何一方不服,可以向法院起诉,就进入司法程序了:
Labour Relations Act
96(6) A trade union, council of trade unions, employer, employers’ organization or person affected by the determination may file the determination, excluding the reasons, in the prescribed form in the Superior Court of Justice and it shall be entered in the same way as an order of that court and is enforceable as such.
因此,走这条路,对于员工比较有利。可以先向这个委员会申请,如果对它的决定不服,再进入司法程序也是可以的。
3、工会
根据工会代表员工和雇主所谈的集体劳动合同里面,会有相关的约定。The office of worker adviser网站上是这么说的If you are a member of a union, you can file a grievance under your collective agreement instead of complaining to the OLRB.
三、法律援助
在加拿大这个法治社会,涉及法律问题,作为专业人士的律师是非常重要的。但是,对于劳动者来说,律师的费用,可能是个很大的负担。但是,不要紧,有比较好的选择:
(一)人权法律援助——the Human Rights Legal Support Centre
人权委员会给我的回信,是这么说的:
If you decide to commence an HRTO application, we encourage you to contact the Human Rights Legal Support Centre (HRLSC) to discuss your concern and receive advice. This service is free of charge. You can reach the HRLSC at Toll Free: 1-866-625-5179. You may visit their website for more information http://www.hrlsc.on.ca/en/.
人权法案对ta的职责是这么规定的:
Provision of support services
45.13 (1) The Centre shall provide the following support services:
1. Advice and assistance, legal and otherwise, respecting the infringement of rights under Part I.
2. Legal services in relation to,
i. the making of applications to the Tribunal under Part IV,
ii. proceedings before the Tribunal under Part IV,
iii. applications for judicial review arising from Tribunal proceedings,
iv. stated case proceedings,
v. the enforcement of Tribunal orders.
3. Such other services as may be prescribed by regulation. 2006, c. 30, s. 6.
(二)劳动法律援助
1、没有工会的公司,找The office of worker adviser
The office of worker adviser网站上是这么说的:
Workplace insurance matters
If you are a non-unionized injured worker, or a survivor of an injured worker, the OWA can:
represent you in your appeal at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) or the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal (WSIAT)
provide information over the phone about workplace insurance benefits and procedures
provide written materials on common workplace insurance problems
inform you about other places where you can find help
Health & safety reprisal issues
If you think you have been the victim of an occupational health and safety reprisal and you are not a member of a union, the OWA can:
give you advice about your rights and how to enforce them
represent you in filing an application to the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB)
represent you at a mediation, consultation or hearing at the OLRB
provide written materials on occupational health and safety reprisals
inform you about other places where you can get help.
Ta们是免费的;
Is there a charge for OWA services?
No. The OWA provides services free of charge.
Ta们的联系方式:
Workplace insurance issues
Toll-free (English): 1-800-435-8980
Toll-free (French): 1-800-661-6365
TTY: 1-866-445-3092
Health and safety reprisal issues
Toll-free: 1-855-659-7744
Tel: (416) 212-5335
Fax: (647) 723-2089
在线提出申请:
https://www.owa.gov.on.ca/en/contact-us/
需要采取英语或者是法语,这两种语言不太好的话,可以先中文写好,再用谷歌翻译或者chatgpt。回复非常快,我是当天就收到回复邮件,告诉我分给相关program。但是program就会比较慢的联系,估计案子太多了。
2、有工会的地方,找工会:
The office of worker adviser网站上是这么说的If you are a member of a union, you can file a grievance under your collective agreement instead of complaining to the OLRB.
安省劳工部调查员给我的邮件里是这么说的:If you feel that the employer has reprised against you for exercising your rights under the OHSA, you may file a complaint with the Ontario Labour Relations Board or, if unionized, you may contact the union.
前面提到,集体劳动合同里面有相关的处置机制。如果雇主不遵守那里面的处置机制,工会会代表员工向劳动关系委员会、法院申请启动法律程序。工会,也是免费的!
对于这里的法律援助,我的看法是:不要以中国国内法律援助律师的那种糊弄事来看待加拿大,以为天下乌鸦一般黑。但是,也不要有不切实际的理想化,保持中庸。