NAPE seeks permanent status for marine services workers

Two-thirds of 'temporaries' have more than 10 years of service

St. John’s (4 Sep. 2008) - The Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE/NUPGE) is calling on the minister of transportation and works to take immediate steps to resolve a long-standing issue that could undermine the ability to retain highly skilled marine services workers providing ferry services across the province.

NAPE President Carol Furlong says the government must offer permanent status to long-time marine services employees if it hopes to maintain an experienced workforce. Nearly two-thirds of all current workers are classed as temporary employees even though they have been working full-time for more than a decade.

“There is an increasing demand for workers in this industry - internationally," Furlong says.

"In this province, there is already a shortage of these skilled mariners, with overtime becoming a regular routine as jobs become increasingly more difficult to fill. While their main role is to operate the province's ferry service, these mariners also take an active role in search and rescue and medical emergencies,” she notes.

“There does not seem to be any recognition of the value of the work these employees perform, even though government's own consultant, in a report released in 2006, acknowledged that ferry workers in this province face challenges few other mariners ever encounter. The consultant also recognized the quality of the current crews as one of the major reasons there have been no serious accidents to date.”

Furlong says permanent jobs represent a realistic "first step" for the government to offer to these workers in order to protect the long-term interest of all residents of the province. NUPGE