About the Labour Shortage and the Environment
We have to recognize that there is a labour shortage in all sectors -- in the forests, in the mines -- actually in all industries. There is a shortage and there are not enough people to take over. The baby boomers are retiring, the birth rate is not sufficient to meet the demand, and above all there are several problems that persist concerning the recruitment and retention of workers. Workers are changing employers and companies are not able to retain their workers.
Of course, money plays a role, but there are many other aspects and current policies fall short in attracting and retaining workers. Even with the labour shortage, we could solve the problem of skilled labour through training courses, through immigration. There are ways to do it but there is no common policy. There are a lot of researchers who are addressing the issue and workers also have a lot of ideas that could be implemented to help address the labour shortage. It's true that COVID has amplified the situation, but there are still solutions.
In my opinion, professional training is an important solution. I know, for example, that in the mining and forestry sectors, there is a great need for specialized workers. We have workers who have a basic course but the technology changes rapidly and they are not able to upgrade themselves. There should be continuous training within the company. If you don't provide workers with continuing education, they will drop out and go elsewhere. There needs to be a lot of emphasis on professional training and the recognition of skills acquired within the company, with promotion of workers. Right now, it's the unions that have to fight for it.
In my work at the mine, I had to fight to get the mine to accept this, telling them that if you want to retain workers, you have to train them. Instead of doing continuous training, and recognizing skills through wage increases for example, companies tend to subcontract the work, and thus have a workforce they can get rid of when it suits them.
Also, family life is becoming more and more important. Conditions that allow for a quality family life is important for young people, more so than it was in our time. That's good, it's a change for the better. The primary sector companies like the mining sector are not aligned with this. It affects the retention of workers.
Another issue that I think is very important is the environment. We must have clear policies, agreements with companies that they must respect current standards. The public cannot respect an industry if it does not respect environmental standards. The quality of life at the workplace, the quality of the work environment, the quality of the air is very important for all workers and the population.
For example, the forestry industry in Abitibi is a real disaster from an environmental point of view. The Minister in charge of the sector is clearly serving private companies. I have a four-wheeler and I walk in the forest with friends. As far as forest roads are concerned, what I see I call a massacre of the forest, a huge waste of wood. There is no one to control what is going on. The companies only take the wood that brings them money, and the rest of the wood is left to rot on the spot. I'm not a specialist but I wonder how it is that the inspectors, if there are inspectors who monitor the situation, let things like this go with so much waste.
Young people are increasingly demanding a quality environment, and rightly so, because they are the ones who are going to face the problem.
Today, production must include respect for the environment. In order to be allowed to produce, you must respect the environment.
That's a big concern. Young families will think twice before coming to a region where environmental standards are not upheld.
Politicians and candidates must listen to the people, listen to the people who work and provide services. In health care, many elderly people have died in the last few years, especially during the COVID pandemic. It is terrible but the problems are still there. They have not been solved. These problems should not be swept under the rug during the election.
This article was published in
Volume 52 Number 21 - September
30, 2022
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmld2022/Articles/D520216.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca