NDP Leader and Hamilton Centre MPP Andrea Horwath and Hamilton Mountain MP Chris Charlton met with workers at Siemens Fossil Power Generation where plans to close the facility by July 2011 were announced yesterday – throwing 550 people out of work.

“For almost 115 years Siemens has provided good jobs and a secure living for Hamiltonians. Now, without any notice, jobs are moving south. A lot of families are going to have a hard time as a result of that decision and they deserve better,” said Horwath. “Corporate tax cuts clearly aren’t protecting people’s jobs.”

Hamilton Mountain MP and NDP Labour critic Chris Charlton said the Federal government should step up to the plate with a strategy to help Hamiltonians.

“The Federal Conservatives claim the economy is fine, but recovery isn't real until we have job growth. Hamilton is bleeding jobs instead of creating them. Clearly instead of corporate tax cuts, we need a manufacturing sector strategy and EI to help the innocent victims of companies like Siemens,” said Charlton.

Horwath noted many Hamiltonians have been losing good jobs every month. Today, Statistics Canada Labour Force survey reported that Hamilton lost 1,600 jobs from January 2010 to February 2010 (Statistics Canada Labour Force, March 12 2010).

“Hundreds of people in Hamilton are going to be wondering how they’ll pay their bills this month,” said Horwath. “We need a recovery that works for everyone.”