Thursday, April 19, 2007
Layton sounds alarm on job loss - Thursday April 19, 2007
OTTAWA – NDP Leader Jack Layton today stood with Canadian workers calling for urgent action to prevent job loss in the manufacturing sector. Layton joined members of the United Steelworkers at a rally to raise awareness about the economic devastation that could result from continued government inaction.
“The Conservatives say they don’t have enough money to invest in the manufacturing sector – but they managed to find eight billion for tax cuts to their corporate friends,” decried Layton.
“Working people and their families needed to see that money go into strategic investments to save jobs; to save livelihoods. This government is completely out of touch with what ordinary Canadians want. Either they just don’t get it, or they just don’t care.”
Since 2002, a quarter of a million manufacturing jobs have been lost across Canada. The NDP has been sounding the alarm on behalf of workers at risk in Parliament. On March 22 in Question Period, Brian Masse (Windsor West) asked the following question about job loss in the auto sector:
“The Conservative government has done nothing and stood idly by as the auto industry has been shedding jobs and losing market shares […] We will continue to see companies restructure, plant after plant closedown and worker after worker told to go home without a job. Canadians and the industry are outraged.
“When will the industry minister introduce a real auto strategy so jobs are made here and developed here, and more important, so we can compete with the world and not turn over hard cash from Canadian people to other people in other countries?”
The auto sector isn’t the only area where Conservatives are failing Canadian workers. Despite the government’s claim that they resolved the softwood lumber issue, U.S. companies have renewed their attacks on Canada’s forestry workers. To add insult to injury, the government is also collaborating with the Liberals to block Employment Insurance reforms that would allow people to access the funds that rightfully belong to them.
“Canadians know that the gap between those that have and the rest is growing, and more and more working families are finding it hard to make ends meet,” said Layton. “People want to work to support their families and they have a right to do so. When will the Conservatives stop ignoring this crisis and start working on a solution?”
# posted by Francis Chartrand @ 2:41 PM 
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