Canada abandoning Temporary Workers

While the going was fine, Canada welcomed temporary workers and with now recession setting on, these temporary workers are being dumped by Canada.

Most, or rather, we may say, all these temporary workers had come to Canada in the hope of being absorbed in main stream of Canada. After all, nobody would leave his country and the settled occupation for being in a new country for just few month or two years at the most.

Most of these workers have experience of being exploited at many levels and were paid lower wages than promised. These workers had come to Canada after paying exorbitant fees to agencies and employers, with little or no enforcement to protect these workers.

As the patience of these workers ran out, dozens of temporary foreign workers gathered at Churchill Square rallying for better rights and the chance to apply for Canadian citizenship. Speaking at the event, Clarizze Truscott, chairwoman of the Citizens Concerned for Temporary Foreign Workers, said the event recognizes the contributions of temporary foreign workers in the province and the country. But it also calls to attention the mistreatment many workers face when they arrive in Canada.

Many temporary workers shared their experiences. One, Joe Delena had moved from his home in the Philippines to Canada two years ago, he was promised a handsome salary and steady work as a chef at a catering business. He bypassed a well-paying job in Dubai for a chance to start a life in a country that he said offered great opportunities for him and his family. But as he arrived, he soon realized that work hours were inconsistent and the pay was less than promised, while overtime wages were hardly ever paid. As he said that he was treated like a slave and he barely scraped enough together to send money to support his father, sister, and nephews and nieces back home in the Philippines.

These workers are hoping that the government will change the temporary foreign worker program and allow workers to apply for citizenship or, at the very least, improve labor rights and loosen restrictions so they can find jobs that suit their skill levels when they arrive.