Saskatchewan’s largest union welcomes the news that Grifols will no longer be operating for-profit plasma collection clinics in Canada and is calling for a criminal investigation. CUPE Saskatchewan has long opposed these operations and has called on the provincial government to ban paid plasma for years.
“Vulnerable people, who are preyed upon by these gross cash-for-blood schemes, will be safer following this company’s decision to no longer run its private clinics in Canada. However, this should not have been happening in the first place,” said Kent Peterson, President of CUPE Saskatchewan. “It was the Sask. Party government that opened the doors to private plasma corporations and Scott Moe should have kicked them out as soon as he found out rules were being broken and people were dying.”
The company’s decision comes after two donors in Manitoba died after donating plasma and a Regina clinic was found to be non-compliant with rules designed to keep people safe.
“If this disgusting cash-for-blood corporation has nothing to hide, why is it closing up shop and skipping town?” asked Peterson. “Something stinks, and it’s time for the police to investigate and hold these horrible corporations accountable for what they’ve done.”
CUPE Saskatchewan is calling on Scott Moe to change the laws and permanently ban these dangerous practices in the province.
