NTCL tells 49 employees to expect layoff notices soon: union
Majority of the workers live in Hay River, N.W.T.
At least 49 workers have been told they won't have a job with Northern Transportation Company Ltd. (NTCL) two weeks from now.
The financially troubled company, which is under court protection as it staves off its creditors, told employees in a communique Wednesday that it will be issuing layoff notices most likely Thursday or Friday, says Teresa Eschuk, regional vice-president of the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees that represents the members at NTCL.
The communique says the employees won't be needed as of Sept. 2.
"They're saying there could be more work, but they have to issue the two weeks' notice," said Eschuk. "They've basically been told to take all their personal belongings."
The union represents 49 current employees of NTCL, the majority of whom live in Hay River, N.W.T., says Eschuk.
Workers at NTCL are represented by several unions.
The Canadian Merchant Service Guild represents 12 people currently working for NTCL in upper rank positions (down from 41 last season): engineers, masters, mates. Two are from Hay River while one is from Whitehorse and another is from Inuvik.
Those workers have not yet received a warning about layoffs, said Zulema Sanabria, the secretary treasurer for the guild, on Thursday.
NTCL's sealift season on the Mackenzie River in the N.W.T. typically lasts until the end of September.
The company is also moving equipment and personnel to ConocoPhillips' Tarsiut Caisson Project, 100 kilometres northwest of Tuktoyaktuk, until Sept. 12.