Saturday, October 10, 2009

2000 attend rally at Queens Park

Around 2000 people attended the rally to protest the Nortel pension situation in Toronto Canada. The rally was organized by the NRPC and the CAW to make the Ontario public and politicians aware of the outrage by Nortel ex-employees regarding their treatment following Nortel's filing for bankruptcy protection. It was also intended as a message to all people approaching retirement that what is happening to Nortel retirees could happen to them also.

Seven buses, sponsored by the CAW, brought in about 400 from the suburbs with another 500 or so coming by public transport. An impressive crowd braved the weather, brought their signs and raised their voices to call on the Government of Ontario to honour their pension guarantee.

The rally was peaceful with guest speakers who voiced our concerns, possible solutions and called on both the Ontario and Canadian Governments to get involved. Both the Liberal and Conservative leaders declined invitations to speak at the rally. However Andrea Horwath, NDP leader, voiced her full support.

The Canadian Government has been missing in action to help ex-Nortel employees, some of whom are suffering from losses in income that has plunged them into poverty and has ruined their future prospects of a reasonable retirement. The pressure must be kept on all politicians if we are to allow retirement with dignity.

A second rally will be held in Ottawa on October 21. Let's hope these elected representatives will live up to their oath and start to listen to the people instead of playing their silly political games.

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