Local media, including Northern Life, have been privy to a confidential document from Vale Inco outlining some possibilities for its Sudbury operations.
The possibilities include reducing the cost of producing nickel at its area mines and reducing staffing.“If we don't change now-we will look like Xstrata in five years-will be out of business,” said one line in the power point presentation document.The document mentions a one mine concept-that all various underground operations be considered as different aspects of one mine. That means “there is need to introduce language to enable flexible transfers between mines as required for example,” states the document.
“One mine approached clearly identified-same shift schedule, one set of job classifications, concise timetable and plan for implementation,” is discussed as a goal in the document.Furthermore, productivity has to increase by another 25 percent with employment levels of 2,500 able to produce 200 million pounds of nickel, stated the document-less people and equipment while producing the same amount of assets.
According to John Fera, United Steelworkers Local 6500 president, the document was news to his union.“It deals with efficiencies and job loss. It is a report by staff and consultants. It talks about 2,000 to 1,800 jobs in the mines. I don't know if this is a working document or a what if document,” said Fera Saturday at the Prorogueing of Parliament rally at Tom Davies Square.
He said the existence of a report like this dealing with sensitive union issues such as job losses was not helpful to the current labour dispute with the company.
