In the House of Assembly Tuesday, natural resources minister Kathy Dunderdale revealed that Ironore Company of Canada (IOCC) will be delaying Phase I and Phase II of its planned $500 million expansion program.
She gave no time frame for the delay. IOCC announced the plan to increase output in early 2008 with a planned completion in 2011.
IOC informed me on Friday morning, Mr. Speaker, that they were going to delay Phase 1 and Phase 2 of their expansion program, that this would not have an impact on their permanent employees other than it might have an impact on overtime. The delay of the expansion is going to have an effect on services that they would have contracted to do pieces of work around that. It would have an impact on temporary workers who would be called upon to do that kind of work.
They did not provide to me at that time the numbers that were affected for potential people who would be involved in that contract. My main concern at that point in time, Mr. Speaker, was for the permanent employees of IOC, and I am glad to know that there will not be any layoffs of permanent employees at IOC at this time or in the short term.
IOCC's news release last Friday said only that the expansion project was under review. it also said that no layoffs of permanent employees were under consideration. It said nothing of temporary (non-permanent) employees.
Dunderdale described as "foolishness" questions from the opposition on the impact IOCC's decision would have on temporary employees and student employment.
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