Miners Come to Parliament Hill as Foreign Investment Bill is Introduced

Bill calls on Vale Inco to release its secret undertakings with government

OTTAWA, 7 Dec 2009 – Some of the most contentious labour battles and devastated communities in this country today are arising as a result of foreign takeovers of major Canadian corporations, such at Vale Inco.

NDP MP Claude Gravelle will be introducing a private members bill to amend the Investment Canada Act to require that all promises (undertakings) by foreign companies given to the Canadian government be made public.

He is introducing two further bills to require Vale Inco and Xstrata (giant foreign mining companies) to retroactively make their undertaking public.

Currently, there are over 4,000 United Steelworkers on strike against the massively profitable Vale Inco because it is demanding massive cuts from its workers with the potential of devastating the communities of Sudbury, Port Colborne and Voisey’s Bay.

Miners from Sudbury will be coming to Parliament Hill in their mining outfits to reinforce that the Harper Government is sitting back as Canada’s resources and industries, and many communities, are being sold and gutted by foreign companies.

These foreign companies have made explicit promises to be a “net benefit” to Canada, but nobody but Minister Clement and Prime Minister Harper know what they promised.

WHAT: Introduction of Foreign Takeover Bill, with support from striking miners

WHO: Miners (in full miner outfits) and other workers affected by foreign takeovers
(including Vale Inco)
NDP MP Claude Gravelle, Nickel Belt

WHERE: MEDIA CONFERENCE: Parliament Centre Block, 130-S
Bill Introduction: House of Commons

WHEN: MEDIA CONFERENCE: Tuesday, Dec 8th, 11:00 A.M.
Bill Introduction: Tuesday, Dec 8th, 10:00 A.M.

Contacts: Bob Gallagher, Steelworkers, 416-434-2221 / 416-544-5966 / bgallagher@usw.ca /
MP Claude Gravelle, 613-290-3246 / graveC0@parl.gc.ca /