(Montreal) The large pan-Canadian union Unifor is calling on the federal government to “get its act together and do its part” to ensure the future of the country’s aerospace sector.
While Unifor’s Canadian Council is meeting in Montreal these days, the union took the opportunity to unveil its industrial strategy for aerospace, which represents 10,000 workers in the industry across the country.
The industry in Canada has gone from fourth to sixth place in 20 years, lamented Unifor’s Quebec director, Daniel Cloutier. “The danger of losing our place is very real” if action is not taken, he said.
“The Quebec government is holding its own, but we believe that it is up to the federal government to pull itself together and do its part. Ottawa controls too many levers that have a major impact on the industry to remain on the sidelines,” added Mr. Cloutier.
He cites several levers available to the federal government: tax policies, support funds dedicated to innovation, foreign trade, diplomacy, jurisdiction over air transport and that over defense.
“Recent trends worry us,” added the leader of Unifor, which is affiliated with the FTQ in Quebec. He highlights, among other things, that research and development spending in 2023 was lower than in 2018.
Suggestions
Unifor offers around twenty recommendations to strengthen and ensure a strong future for the industry.
Among these, Unifor suggests that Canada develop a strategy for fighting forest fires that would optimize the use of the expertise of the aeronautics industry in this area, with air tankers for example.
In addition to the internal market, this route should also be taken to increase exports, suggests the union, since forest fires have also ravaged several European countries.
Unifor also recommends implementing, or even intensifying, a “service in Canada” policy to ensure the maintenance and repair of aeronautical equipment that is operated by municipalities or provincial and federal governments, both in the defense sector. as that of the coast guard and the fight against forest fires.