Protest descends on Ontario government over 407 financing

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - July 12, 2013) - Attention: TORONTO-GTA ASSIGNMENT AND MEDIA EDITORS FOR FRIDAY, JULY 12

WHEN:
Friday, July 12 at 8:00 a.m.

WHAT:
Protest to expose Ferrovial's human rights scandal in the UK, and SNC-Lavalin's global bribery scandal. Ferrovial and SNC-Lavalin are the controlling shareholders of the 407 ETR toll highway. They have also been contracted by the Ontario government for the extension of the 407 past Oshawa.

WHERE:
Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure
Mowat Block, 5th floor
900 Bay Street
Toronto, ON M7A 1C2

WHO:
Unite the Union is Britain and Ireland's biggest trade union, with over 1.5 million members in the private and public sectors. Members of Unite the Union will be joined at the Toronto protest by Canadian labour allies including UFCW Canada, and the United Steelworkers (USW), to highlight allegations of Ferrovial's blacklisting activities against union members raising health and safety concerns.

WHY:
"Both of the contractors on the ETR 407 extension - Ferrovial and SNC-Lavalin - are now implicated in bribery scandals but we think allegations pointing to Ferrovial's involvement in 'blacklisting' - to stop trade unionists who report health and safety violations from getting work - is even worse," says Ersoy, who will be leading the Friday protest in Toronto.

"Blacklisting of construction workers in the UK has led to poverty, family breakdowns, and severe mental stress. What has happened to trade unionists in the UK could just as well happen here in Canada where Ferrovial also operates as the controlling shareholder of the 407 ETR, and the lead on its extension project with SNC-Lavalin."

"We are asking the Ontario community, labour allies, and social justice activists to demand of their Ontario government that Ferrovial does not get any more public contracts until the company answers to the blacklisting allegations, and acknowledges fundamental human and labour rights - including a worker's right to raise health and safety concerns without reprisal."