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News
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Government elevators breaking down Still no word from Minister on labour relations assistance October 25, 2005
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Percy Barrett, Opposition Labour Critic and MHA for the District of
Bellevue, says he is disappointed that he has received no response from the
Department of Labour to his request that they get involved to help settle a
labour dispute involving elevator workers in the province. Barrett is
surprised the minister is being so silent as elevators in government
buildings are now starting to be affected by this ongoing strike. "Last week, I issued a press release asking the Minister of Labour to get involved and see what help our provincial government could provide to assist in ending this eight month old strike," said Mr. Barrett. "To date, I have heard nothing from government as to whether they would be willing to provide a mediator or any other resources to help end this labour dispute." Over the past several months, many businesses have experienced problems installing and repairing elevators in the province. It now appears that government buildings, such as the Natural Resources Building on Elizabeth Avenue in St. John’s, are experiencing similar problems. Over the past few weeks, the elevators in the building have broken down without immediate repair work being undertaken. "Employees in the Natural Resources Building are quite concerned with the problems associated with their elevators. These incidents, along with other problems being experienced, show the importance of ending this strike as quickly as possible. There have been reports that disabled people who entered this government building could not access the higher floors. This is not acceptable and is a symptom of the problems that are being created from this labour dispute. "As this strike continues, there will undoubtedly be more incidents of this nature. I am once again asking Minister Burke and the Labour Relations Agency to get more involved in offering their services in an effort to resolve this strike. Elevator services are often the only way disabled people can access certain buildings and services, and I call upon government to recognize the urgency of this matter." |
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