Hiring protest hits Muskrat Falls construction site

A group of demonstrators gathered Tuesday morning near the construction site of the Muskrat Falls megaproject in central Labrador to draw attention to what they call shortfalls in a local hiring policy.

About 20 people blocked the road heading to the construction site, although they were allowing traffic through.

RCMP officersarrived later to escort vehicles that encountered the demonstration.

Protesters said Nalcor, the Crown corporation that is building a hydroelectric generating station on the Churchill River, is not living up to writtenobligations to give hiring preference to aboriginal peopleand Labrador residents.

Some of the demonstrators said they are skilled labourers and qualified drivers, but their applications for work appear to have gone nowhere.

The protesters said they plan to move their demonstration later Tuesday to Nalcor's offices in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and to return to the construction site on Wednesday.

Nalcor has come under criticism before about its hiring practices. Last fall, Nalcor said that the number of local employees would increase as the project proceeds.