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Kelvin Parsons, MHA for the District Burgeo-Lapoile, says an amendment put
forward by the Opposition on the number of processors required to represent
the fishing industry in collective bargaining should have been accepted by
government.
As a result of the legislation passed today in the House of Assembly, a
fish species will be represented by processors who produced over 50 per cent
plus one of the product in the previous year. This could allow the big
processors to control the industry, while dictating the collective
bargaining contracts that smaller processors must follow. The amendment put
forward by the Opposition would have maintained this clause, but also
required 50 per cent of the processors to be part of the collective
bargaining process. This would have made the system more equitable and
prevented a small number of processors from controlling the industry.
"This amendment would have made the entire system more equitable for all
fish processors," said Mr. Parsons. "We now have a circumstance where the
larger processors in the province can come together and control the
industry, solely because they produce 50 plus one per cent of the product.
This leaves the smaller processors at a disadvantage as they will have to
live by the contracts negotiated by these larger companies.
"Unfortunately, government refused to accept our amendment that would
have guaranteed an equitable and protective system for all processors in the
fishing industry. Instead, we may witness future problems as the larger
companies try to control the industry and dictate the contracts that all
processors must follow."
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