The provincial government has created a Transition Adjustment committee to help the hundreds of workers who will be laid off as a result of the permanent closure of the Brunswick Lead Smelter in Belledune, N.B.
“The loss of more than 400 direct jobs is devastating news, and it will be felt by the entire region once the smelter closes at the end of the year,” said Labour Minister Trevor Holder in a press release Wednesday.
“This committee goes beyond a typical workforce adjustment committee as it will not only focus on employment support for the affected workers but it will also concentrate on economic development opportunities in the northern region.”
READ MORE: Glencore to close Brunswick Lead Smelter in Belledune, N.B., cut 420 jobs
The committee is one of the actions resulting from a meeting in Belledune last week involving Holder, Heritage Minister Robert Gauvin, local government minister Jeff Carr, members of the steelworkers’ union, local business leaders, local members of the legislature and the mayors of Belledune and Atholville.
The actual members of the committee have not been revealed, but the province says they will be finalized in the coming days.
A meeting is scheduled for Friday between the government and community stakeholders to provide an update on the government’s efforts to assist the region.
“Everyone involved has the same commitment, which is to bring forward ideas to support these workers, their families and the community,” said Holder.
“A collaborative approach is necessary to help the community with this transition and to explore new employment and economic development opportunities.”
Glencore Canada Corp. announced the permanent closure of the smelter on Nov. 13, with the company saying it had been losing money since the closure of the nearby Brunswick Mine in 2013.
“Over the last three years, the plant lost on average $30 million per year, plus the capital investment that the plant is requiring,” Glencore spokesperson Alexis Segal told the Canadian Press last week.
Of the 420 people employed at the smelter, about half of them are members of the United Steelworkers union who have been off the job since April 24 in a contract dispute.
Segal said the labour dispute had nothing to do with the decision to close, and the company will meet with the union to discuss an orderly transition for workers.
He said Glencore will offer pension and severance to affected workers, or the possibility of jobs at other Glencore operations in Canada and around the world. The company operates in 35 countries.