The Newfoundland and Labrador government has issued three “special project orders” (SPOs) to ensure labour stability during construction of the Muskrat Falls development, reports The Telegram.
According to Natural Resources Minister Tom Marshall, the orders will also help insure that Innu workers get top priority when it comes to work on the $7.7 billion hydroelectric project.
The three orders govern the construction of the Muskrat Falls dam and hydroelectric generating station, the land clearing for the Muskrat Falls reservoir and the construction of the Labrador-island transmission link.
A fourth order will likely come later this year for the Maritime Link that will connect Newfoundland to Nova Scotia.
A special project order essentially imposes a no-strike, no-lockout undertaking on the labour and employers of a megaproject, which ensures a stable labour environment for the lifetime of the project.
