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Newfoundland Association for Full Employment
Year Published: 1978Resource Type: Organization Cx Number: CX777 One of several groups across Canada recently organized to protest government and business policies which have created and support the current unemployment crisis. Abstract: Connexions has published multiple abstracts on the Newfoundland Association for Full Employment. - - - This abstract was published in Connexions Digest in 1978: One of several groups across Canada recently organized to protest government and business policies which have created and support the current unemployment crisis. It aims to 1) organize unemployed people to defend their own interests and basic human right to employment; 2) pressure the federal government to institute a policy of full employment; 3)speak out on issues affecting jobs in the province and 4) provide services and assistance to the unemployed. Amongst other activities they have held a variety of educational meetings unemployment, dempostrated against unemployment insurance cutbacks, and created an Unimplemented Advocacy Service to assist people who are having problems with unemployment insurance claims. NAFE supports the following principles: the right to meaningful work, a labour-intensive approach to industrial development, co-operation and self-sufficiency approach to industrial development, co-operation and self-sufficiency rather than competition and dependency on large corporation's, worker participation in decision-making and the ownership of the province's resources by all Newfoundlanders. They have Produced the following documents: 1) "NAFE Brochure": out lines goals, principles and actions of the association, 2) "Oppose the UIC Cutbacks" : part of national campaign to fight the proposed cutbacks resulting from changes in the unemployment insurance regulations; 3) "NAFE Position on the Budget" : examines the provincial government's 'austerity' budget, its damaging effect upon the poor and unemployed, and the growing influence of multinationals in determining Newfoundland economic policy, 4) "Brief to the people's Commission on unemployment": reveals the human suffering behind the unemployment statistics and provides a clear analysis of the present economic situation with its inherent contradictions, 5) "Brief to the National Unity Task Force": the brief suggests the Task Force on National Unity is an attempt by the federal government to mask deeper national problems such as unemplyment. - - - This abstract was published in Connexions Digest in 1981: The Newfoundland Association for Full Employment (NAFE) was formed in 1977; its goals are: 1) to organize unemployed people to defend their own interests and their basic right to employment; 2) to pressure the federal government to institute a policy of full employment; 3) to speak out on issues affecting jobs in the province and 4) to provide services and assistance to the unemployed. Some of its basic principles include cooperation, the right of everyone to meaningful employment, greater self-sufficiency within the Newfoundland economy, greater worker participation in decisions affecting workers' lives, production oriented to the needs of people rather than to corporate profits and lastly, ownership of resources by Labradorians and Newfoundlanders. NAFE estimates that unemployment affects 39% of the province's population and that while such a level of unemployment benefits a few, it severely threatens workers' interests and rights. This group has been involved in educational activities, province-wide organizing, research and the compilation of information on the employment crisis. While NAFE's original orientation was to unemployment, it has become increasingly involved in other political, economic and development issues (including the oil issue). |