The United Steelworkers put out a press release March 3 stating they are concerned with the federal government's statements in the throne speech about opening the door to more foreign investment.
“Protecting Canadian communities should be the first order of business of our federal government," Ken Neumann, United Steelworkers national director, said in a press release. "However, in the Throne Speech, Mr. Harper has indicated he is going to further abdicate his responsibility to ensure communities are the net beneficiaries of foreign ownership.”
“It is outrageous that this government has refused to side with Canadian communities and workers as foreign multinational after foreign multinational buy up Canadian companies and end up devastating our resource communities. Today’s statement rather than indicating the government will come to the aid of our communities by putting more teeth in the Investment Canada Act, will actually add insult to the injury communities like Sudbury and Hamilton are experiencing.”
Foreign takeovers by companies like Vale Inco, Xstrata and U.S. Steel have failed to be a “net benefit” to Canada as the law requires, the press release stated.
These takeovers have resulted in thousands of lost jobs, the closing of vital plants and mills, and the transferring of industrial production outside our borders.
Harper’s government has failed to make those companies live up to their lawful requirements, and have even refused to make public the promises made by these companies, stated the press release.
“This is a tragic failure of our federal government at a time when many Canadian workers are looking for leadership in protecting their jobs and their communities,” Neumann said.
