Opposition calls upon government to protect OCI fish plant workers   

Opposition Leader and MHA for the District of Cartwright-L’Anse au Clair, Yvonne Jones, says government should hold Ocean Choice International (OCI) more accountable to the fish plant workers across the province whose livelihoods are being compromised by this company’s call for concessions and its reduced operations.      

The Opposition Leader questioned the minister on OCI’s operations in six of the province’s fish plants where workers this past weekend presented a strike mandate to its union.   Talks between OCI & FFAW’s 1200 workers broke off when the union refused to accept concessions offered by the company.

“These workers have already been supportive of this company when it took over the plants from FPI in 2007, to the point where they are now making less than they were making in 2004,” says Jones. “Further, OCI has reduced the workforce in the Marystown plant to 230 on one shift from the 400-500 workers that were working two shifts back in 2004.

“OCI has not lived up to the terms of their agreement in exchange for the former FPI assets and government does not seem at all interested in holding them accountable. Instead, the minister got up in the House today and defended the company by citing poor market conditions. This same government in May 2007 stated that they were “satisfied with the protections and benefits achieved for the workers and communities dependent upon FPI”.  Where is this protection today?”

The Opposition Leader says the contract signed between OCI and government is not providing the assured security and stability that these fish plant workers were promised. “Employment levels are down, wages are down to 2004 levels, OCI is shipping more fish out to China and they can no longer even afford to pay its property taxes to the Town of Marystown.  Something has gone off track from the signing of this agreement to now and government is again failing to safeguard the interests of the people of the province.

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