CAW President says Harper inaction on manufacturing job loss is appalling and
shameful
CAW President Buzz Hargrove considers today's announcement of 55,000
manufacturing job losses in the month of July absolutely devastating. The latest
figures, released by Statistics Canada on August 8, are one of the worst monthly
job loss totals for Canadian manufacturing on record. Hargrove points the finger
directly at the Harper government.
"The Harper government must be held accountable for the pain and suffering
felt by the hundreds of thousands of Canadian manufacturing workers who have
lost their jobs in recent years," Hargrove said, adding that the government's
disregard of important issues such as unfair trade, the rising Canadian dollar,
and skyrocketing energy prices has contributed to the major job losses in recent
years.
"The government's inaction is both appalling and shameful." Hargrove said
that these latest labour market statistics do not account for more recently
announced layoffs and plant closures that will take place in the coming months,
including thousands more job losses at Sterling Truck in St. Thomas, Owens
Illinois in Toronto and the General Motors Oshawa truck plant slated to close in
2009. "Until our federal government wakes up and realizes the extent of this
crisis, I fear that the worst is yet to come."
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