Temporary foreign worker fee no barrier for exploitation
Posted Aug 7, 2013 11:17 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Temporary foreign worker fees won’t be a barrier to exploitation.
That’s the message from the Alberta Federation of Labour.
The A-F-L points out a $275 processing fee would cost an employer about three-and-a half cents per hour.
The fee came into effect August 1st.
President Gil McGowan says, “Leaving the determination of whether TFW’s are adversely affecting the economy in the hands of employers to see if Canadians are being displaced, is laughable.”
McGowan adds, “Low-wage employers can’t be relied upon to protect the public interest.”
According to the A-F-L, over the past decade the number of temporary foreign workers in Canada has ballooned upwards of 340, 000.
McGowan says, “A lot of these low-wage employers in the service sector will happily pay that for a worker who is willing to work for less for years and is too vulnerable to complain.”
He adds, “$275 is a drop in the bucket and will not provide a significant disincentive to any employers who are trying to keep wages low.”
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program enables employers to hire foreign workers on a temporary basis to fill immediate skills and labour shortages when Canadian citizens and permanent residents are not available to do the job.
