|
| NFU concerned new EI measures will hurt New Brunswick farmers |
| Source: Submitted, by the NFU |
| Date: 29-May-2012 |
The Conservative government’s recent overhaul to Canada’s Employment Insurance system could have a major impact on seasonal workers in the Maritimes. The National Farmers Union in New Brunswick (NFU in NB) is very concerned about the detrimental effect upon New Brunswick farmers and their ability to hire seasonal agricultural employees.
Recent Statistics Canada Census of Agriculture figures show us that in New Brunswick, of the roughly 7500 people employed in the agriculture sector, 73% of them are seasonal workers. New Brunswick, along with PEI, Nova Scotia and BC, is one of the provinces with the highest proportion of seasonal employees. “This is due to the fact that we have a considerable number of large fruit and vegetable growers, along with a potato industry that requires workers several months of the year” explains Mel Jellett, National Farmer Union Executive Director.
“If farmers are unable to find employees to work seasonally, our farms, both small and large, will be impacted”, explains Jellett. "As workers and their families leave the province, New Brunswick’s population will only continue to decline."
These new measures present a double whammy for agricultural producers in the Maritimes. “Roughly 40% of farmers in the country have to work off the farm (seasonally), so if farmers are forced to work elsewhere, that could really affect farmers in the Maritimes,” Jean-Eudes Chiasson, National Farmers Union in New Brunswick President points out. As a result both the seasonal employees and the employer will be affected.
Food production is paramount if we want healthy communities, both rural and urban; therefore, the NFU in NB questions whether the federal government understands the extent of the negative impact these new measures could have on the agricultural community. For more information on the National Farmers Union position on the EI measures and other agricultural issues in the province of New Brunswick, email nfu.nb.office@gmail.com, or call (506) 538-1189.
|
|
|
|
|
