[BC_Labour_E-NEWS] 36,000 Jobs lost in BC, Highest in Canada; Unemployment increases to 7.9% - B.C. Federation of Labour Calls for

[bc_labour_enews at bcfed.net]

March 12, 2004

** For Immediate Release **

36,000 Jobs lost in BC, Highest in Canada; Unemployment increases to 7.9% -
B.C. Federation of Labour Calls for 
Economic Summit

Vancouver - Climbing unemployment and the loss of 36,000 jobs shows the BC
Liberal economic plan just isn't working and it's time for a provincial
economic summit, said B.C. Federation of Labour President Jim Sinclair.

"Unemployment is at 7.9 percent and British Columbians can't find any hope
in Finance Minister Gary Collins' budget," said Sinclair. According to
Statistics Canada youth employment fell by 28.2 percent from January 2004 to
February 2004. "Young people in our province are being held hostage to
skyrocketing tuition fees and the elimination of post-secondary student
grants the Liberal economic plan offers nothing for their future," Sinclair
stated.

"Recording Canada's highest job loss is not the way we want to be leading
the country," said Sinclair. "Clearly this government has no economic plan
and working families are bearing the brunt of it." Sinclair stressed the
only way a solution could be found to BC's economic woes was if all
stakeholders worked together. "We need an economic summit to bring forward
some different perspectives on how to build our economy. We need more than
the 2010 Olympics to turn our province's economy around," added Sinclair.

"And it's not getting better in the so-called heartlands, added Sinclair."
While the government stubbornly proceeds with privatizing BC Rail,
Statistics Canada reports unemployment in the Prince George region spiked to
14.4 percent last month from 12.1 percent in January, and climbed to 10.7
percent from 9.8 percent. "The 'heartlands' have truly become the
'hurtlands' under the Liberal watch," concluded Sinclair. 

-30-

For more information contact: Jessie Uppal 604-430-1421 or 604-220-0739.

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