B.C. Forests Minister Steve Thomson said Thursday that as long as Winton Global Lumber continues to meet its forest management obligations for its forest licence - which it is - there are no grounds for cancelling it.
Thomson was responding to a question from reporters on whether the Prince George-based company was allowed to sell its timber when it has been shut down for three years.
"What they are doing is currently provided for. There are no grounds for cancelling the licence," said Thomson during a conference call with reporters to give an update on issues like wildfire preparedness.
More than two dozen former Winton Global workers had gathered earlier this week in front of the Prince George offices of parent company Sinclar Group to demand answers to an unprecedented, lengthy shut down.
The operation was shut down in June 2008, following a six month period in which it was closed half the time. The company, like others in North-Central B.C., was caught up in the collapse in U.S. housing, a key market. The collapse was later exacerbated by the global financial crisis and a rising Canadian dollar compared to the U.S. currency.
The Sinclar Group has said they will not consider a decision on the future of the mill until the market returns to more normal level, not expected to happen quickly.
The workers have said they want action from the company: Open up the mill, or cut them their severance cheques. Severance payments could run into millions of dollars.
The workers also wrote a letter to the forests minister calling on the province to take back Winton Global Lumber's timber harvesting rights and responsibilities.
"While I can appreciate the workers frustration in this current situation, this is an issue of labour dispute between employees and management, and as such those issues need to be addressed through the processes that work there," said Thomson.
The workers wrote to the forests minister: "Due to changes in the forest act, Winton Global retains their forest licences and they are allowed to sell timber to other operations while employees are held hostage with no consideration for their years of service."
Sweeping forestry policy changes introduced by the B.C. Liberal government in 2004 loosened rules that had tied timber to a specific mill.
According the B.C. Ministry of Forests 2011 timber apportionment data for the Prince George Timber Supply Area, Winton Global holds a long-term, renewable licence for 505,541 cubic metres per year. That's equivalent to about 11,000 logging truck loads of timber.
