Cheryl Gallant, MP Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, is pleased to confirm her introduction of a Parliamentary Motion regarding pension rights for existing Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL) Employees.
“AECL employees can be re-assured that I have been actively involved with all issues regarding the operation and management of AECL since I was first elected. The current re-structuring process is no exception. While it may be premature at this stage of the re-structuring process to be involved in some of the technical details, for long time AECL employees, I felt they would benefit from the knowledge that I am aware of their concerns when it comes to existing pension obligations,” stated Cheryl Gallant, MP.
“I looked at what happened in the early 1990’s when Theratronics and Nordion were spun off from AECL. While the Nordion and Theratronics Divestiture Authorization Act was passed in 1990, regulations regarding employees pensions subsequently occurred in 1995. The important point to note is that there is a precedent in AECL regarding pensions and successor rights.
M-539 — October 2, 2014 — Mrs. Gallant (Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke) — That, in the opinion of the House, the President of the Treasury Board should prepare regulations respecting pension protection for employees of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited in the event of any action by the government that may have the effect of changing existing pension obligations.
The Government of Canada completed the first phase of the restructuring of AECL with the sale of AECL’s Commercial Operations business to Candu Energy Inc., on October 2, 2011.
As of February 2013, the Government of Canada has been implementing the second phase of the restructuring of AECL, focused on the Nuclear Laboratories. A process is currently underway to procure the services of a private sector contractor to manage and operate AECL’s Nuclear Laboratories under a Government-owned, Contractor-operated (GoCo) model.
In March 2014, a Request for Response Evaluation (RFRE) was issued to invite interested bidders to pre-qualify for the procurement process based on a set of financial, technical and security requirements. Interested bidders who qualify through the RFRE process and meet mandatory national security requirements will be able to submit a bid as part of the Request for Proposal (RFP) stage. The process is expected to conclude in 2015. AECL receives Government of Canada support for its activities. Last year, Parliamentary appropriations of $385 million were received from the Government of Canada.