Increased protection sought for Honduran temporary foreign workers in Canada

Canada, 6th September: Critics in Canada are urging more protection for Hondurans working as temporary foreign workers in various agriculture jobs in Canada.

It’s being argued that such immigrant workers in Canada need to be assured of protecting their rights under the Canada Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program.

Several employer unions in Canada state that migrant workers in Canada are being subject to increased exploitation under the guise of TFW program. Canada’s TFW is nothing but “Exploitation Express” of the Canadian government which exploits tens of thousands of foreign workers in Canada, the national president of UFCW Canada, Wayne Hanley. UFCW happens to be the biggest private sector union in Canada.

While highlighting the apathy of such foreign workers employed as agriculture staff in Canada under the TFW program of the federal government, Hanley said that such immigrant workers in Canada are being exploited and if they try to voice their concerns, they are immediately fired from their jobs in Canada and shipped back to their native nations.

Despite possessing valid Canada work visas and Canada work permits to work legally in Canada, immigrant workers under the TFW program are being forced to sign the contract by employers in Canada which states that Canada will not interfere in case of any abuse, exploitation or dismissal of the workers by employers.

Recently, Canada has been rife with the news of vulnerability of temporary foreign workers employed in Agriculture sector in Canada resulting in a campaign by various community allies and UFCW Canada denouncing deplorable working conditions of such migrant workers hailing form Guatemala.

Lashing at the present TFW program of Canadian government, Hanley called for immediate changes in the program. The abuse of immigrants has to end now, and this can happen only if the programs bringing temporary foreign workers in Canada are reviewed seriously by introducing required reforms by the Canada government, Hanley asserted.

The reforms are needed for all temporary foreign workers in Canada including those from Guatemala, Honduras, the Caribbean, Thailand, Mexico, the Philippines or from any nation since immigrant workers are forced to surrender their workplace as well as human rights once they enter Canada, Hanley maintained.