The NL NDP is relieved for the workers who were used as bait in negotiations by government and oil companies to reach a tentative deal for Terra Nova FPSO to see the project life extended. The NL NDP Caucus is upset however with the Liberal Government for using those workers as bait in the negotiations. Last minute negotiations that hold workers hostage is not a substitute for a just transition plan.
“The families who work on the Terra Nova FPSO project are certainly breathing a sigh of relief after being caught in the middle of these negotiations,” said NDP Leader Alison Coffin. “My concern is in the absence of a just transition plan. This deal is only buying time until we see more workers in the oil and gas industry facing the same anxieties brought on by government’s lack of preparation to address the changing nature of this industry.”
Speaking to the announcement last night, Premier Andrew Furey was quoted as saying this outcome ‘confirms that the government’s position in these negotiations was the right one’. Coffin again expressed concern that the Premier is downplaying the very real fears that were brought on by the government’s sloth-like approach to bringing in a just transition plan.
“It is a bold claim to say government’s position was the right one. No worker’s livelihood should be used as a bargaining chip between government and corporations,” said Coffin. “Government should not have put workers in this situation in the first place. It is not acceptable that a process brings workers so much fear and anxiety over their future.”
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For further information, contact Eddy St. Coeur, Director of Communications, NDP Caucus at 729-2137 (o), or eddystcoeur@gov.nl.ca