>From a speech by British Columbia Premier Glen Clark to the Convention of
the B.C. Federation of Labour, November 26, 1996...
The Long Term
"These are important initiatives -- creating jobs in the forest sector,
rebuilding our coastal communities, working to save Canadian Airlines -- but
I want to challenge you today to consider even more fundamental measures.
"There's a best-selling book in the stores these days called The End of Work
by Jeremy Rifkin.
"Rifkin warns us that the economic shift we're undergoing now is different
from the economic revolutions of the past.
"The Industrial Revolution first moved workers from the fields to the
factories. Then they moved from factories to the service sector. Each time
technology displaced workers from one area, it opened up jobs in another.
"The difference now, Rifkin suggests, is new technology is creating far
fewer jobs than it destroys.
"As Rifkin says, we may well have thousands of new products being made. But
'they are likely to be manufactured in near-workerless factories and
marketed by near-virtual companies requiring an ever-smaller, more highly
skilled workforce.'
"There are high-paying jobs for an elite few and underemployment or
unemployment for the many.
"Rifkin suggests we may have to take the existing work and spread it around.
He says we have to look once more at the question of reduced work time.
"I don't agree with all of Rifkin's analysis or his proposed solutions.
"But here's the paradox. We see around us today an economy in which
corporations are reaping record profits.
"The stock exchange is booming. Interest rates are low.
"Yet unemployment remains high -- too high.
"And at a time when thousands of workers can't find a job at all, those who
are employed are working longer and longer hours.
"There's strong evidence that the changes he's describing are occurring
right now, right here in B.C.
"While unemployment remains stubbornly high, the workweek is actually
getting longer.
"In the forest sector in our province, the average work week increased from
35 hours in 1985 to 38.2 in 1995.
"In the mining sector, it increased from 38.9 to 40.7
"Overtime hours are rising, too.
"Total overtime hours rose 12.2 percent across Canada in 1994.
"I certainly don't want to leave the impression I am critical in any way of
workers who do overtime. Many have no choice and many others are simply
doing whatever they can to provide the best possible for their families.
"But on average, every worker in B.C. did an hour of overtime during the
month of September.
"In primary industries, like forestry and mining, the average number of
overtime hours per week was four hours. In manufacturing it was two hours.
"I am convinced we must look for ways to redistribute the work available so
that more British Columbians can be employed.
"And I am convinced that we can make these changes while actually
maintaining or improving productivity. Here's the challenge: can we reduce
overtime and maintain world-class, competitive industries.
"Of course, we can't assume that overtime hours or shorter work weeks could
be converted into jobs on a one-to-one basis.
"Some analysts believe that we'd be doing well if we acheived half that goal.
"But the potential is impressive. Consider our pulp and paper sector, a key
driver of our economy.
"Our pulp workers hae seen a steady increase in overtime work -- up 27 per
cent in the first half of this decade. The average worker puts in almost one
out of every 10 hours as overtime.
"One industry estimate suggests that converting those overtime hours to jobs
would create as many as 600 new full-time positions in the pulp and paper
industry.
"Would that make sense? Could we do it without penalizing people unfairly?
Obviously these are huge questions -- but they need to be asked with all the
parties at the table committed to achieving clear gains in job creation.
"I know many of the unions here are already tackling these issues. The CAW
has made some promising progress in their settlement with the big three auto
manufacturers in Ontario.
"The news media focused on the outsourcing issue. But what may be at least
as important is the expansion of special time-off provisions.
"These give top-seniority workers as much as one week off for every four
weeks worked. The CAW estimates this provision will create 300 positions in
Windsor alone... and 1,000 new jobs at union rates across the auto sector.
"An equally impressive effort has been made by the Steelworkers at Algoma
Steel, where they've engaged in far-reaching agreements with management to
protect jobs that are the lifeblood of their community.
"We've already seen some promising results from work-time strategies here in
the public sector in B.C., with the Health Labour Accord.
"A shorter work week helped us reduce costs and free up resources for
front-line services... and averted layoffs to as many as 600 full-time
positions.
"I want to be clear: these aren't easy problems to solve.
"If there's one thing I've learned, it's that there are no quick fixes.
there are no simple answers. There's no magic wand to wave.
"This will require business, government and labour to work together. There
is common ground to be found here, creativity to be applied, and
partnerships to be forged.
Regards,
Tom Walker
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