Speaking Notes for The Honourable Charles Furey
Government's Response to the Morgan Cooper Report on Labour Relations
Processes on Offshore Oil Production Platforms

Premier Tobin regrets being unable to attend today's press conference, however,in his place, it is my pleasure to be here today with my colleague, the Honourable Oliver Langdon, to announce Government's decision with respect to a Labour Relations regime for our newest industry - the Offshore Oil Industry.

As we approach the 21st century, Newfoundland and Labrador is rapidly becoming a major player in the highly competitive global oil industry. We have a world class construction and fabrication site at Bull Arm that has been used to build one of the wonders of the world and is in line to again build an offshore drilling and production platform for our offshore waters. We have a highly skilled workforce that is second to none in terms of quality of work. And I am delighted to say that Newfoundland and Labrador now has a labour relations regime that will optimize safety, labour stability and productivity on offshore production platforms.

The labour relations regime we are announcing here today will greatly contributeto the province's ability to be globally competitive in the oil industry. Certainly, it will assure Newfoundland and Labrador's reputation as a major offshore oil industry player.

My colleague, Minister Langdon, will describe for you some of the key features of this labour relations regime. But, I would like to take a few minutes to talk about what this means for industry and labour and what it means for the Province as a whole.

Quite simply, what we have done is put the decisions into the hands of the people directly affected - it is the platform workers who will decide and determine if and how they want to be represented. It is our role, government's role, to provide the legislative framework which assures safety, stability and productivity for the workers,the companies and the economy.

For companies wanting to produce oil and gas offshore Newfoundland, they can look to this province and be assured that their employees will work in partnership to make the platform a safe and stable place to work, a factor critical to maximizing their productivity. For employees, these provisions will guarantee Newfoundland's competitive position and secure their jobs, jobs that are highly-skilled, long-term and challenging, something they are all proud of. As well, the regime we are announcing here today will transform this province into one of the most attractive locations in the world for offshore oil and it will promote the provinceÀÀs greatest asset, its people, on a national and international basis. It will create a workplace environment for our offshore industry that is productive, competitive and responsive to the industry's needs.

Finally, maintaining a balance between competitiveness and workers' rights is never easy. And it is a shared responsibility of labour, management and government. These amendments demonstrate that we can achieve a balance. It was the commitment from these parties that assisted government in arriving at the direction taken here today, one that balances the needs in a global marketplace with fundamental worker rights.

When we commissioned the Cooper study, we challenged labour and management and the existing legislation to create an environment which addresses the needs of workers, promotes positive labour-management relations, and produces a committed and productive workforce. I am proud to say we have achieved this goal.

Throughout the consultations leading up to the legislative proposal now before the House of Assembly, I have seen the cooperation between labour and industry in an effort to ensure that Newfoundland's and Labrador's offshore industry continues to grow. Such cooperation is essential for this industry to maximize its potential and, if recent developments are any indication, that potential is enormous.

I thank you all for coming out today and I will now turn to Minister Langdon to add his comments and to outline for you some of the key aspects of this labour relations regime.

December 15, 1997