Fish, seafood processors join forces to asks feds for action on labour shortage
From the Chronicle Herald
The fishing and seafood processing industries issued a joint call Monday to the federal government for action on labour shortages. They also announced the formation of the Maritime Seafood Coalition to advance their cause.
Marilyn Clark, with the Nova Scotia Fish Packers Association, said the coalition was formed in response to what she described as the federal government’s “failure to react constructively” to a labour shortage affecting fishing and processing operations throughout the region after restrictions were imposed on employment of temporary foreign workers.
“We require production capacity to service the market and to maintain the price,” she said in an interview.
The fishing industry must limit employment of temporary foreign workers to 30 per cent of payrolls this year, 20 per cent in 2016 and 10 per cent by 2017, Clark said.
Through the coalition, the industry will lobby for policy discussion and seek controls on temporary foreign workers like those in place for agriculture.