New Canada Temporary Foreign Worker rules will drive down wages

Low wages for foreign workers discriminatory—Recent ruling is nothing but a discrimination to be meted out to immigrant workers wanting to work in Canada.

Canada government decided to bring down wages by nearly 15 percent for foreigners coming under Canada TFW (Temporary Foreign Worker) Program recently. However, this ruling is being cited as wholly misguided and alarming.

Immigrants rights advocates as well as several economists are coming out against the new regime by Canada government. Employers will get the authority to fast track immigration of potential TFWs (Temporary Foreign Workers) and pay lesser wages than their Canadian counterparts.

This ruling will prove worse for foreign workers because they will be getting lower wages than they were getting before the announcement of new Canada TFW rules, maintains Gil McGowan, Alberta union organization’s (Alberta Federation of Labor) president.

This is going to have a negative effect on the labor market of Canada, adds McGowan. He was supported by several immigrant settlement and religious organizations.

Changed TFW rules will lower wages for Canadians—So, the effect of new rules for temporary foreign workers is not just limited to their wages. In fact, such Canada immigration changes will have far reaching impact on the prevailing wage rates in Canada.

It is being feared that recent changes introduced to Canada Temporary Foreign Worker Program are going to drive wages for Canadian workers down, analysts fear.

And the scenario may be that a worker will be pitted against another. McGowan, while sharing the predicament of foreign workers in Canada said employers will now have the authority to restrict Canadians from demanding more wages and complaining against work conditions.

If any Canadian complains to his employer, he might be exploited by the employer.

The employer may say-don’t ask for more or you will be replaced by foreign workers.

Canada’s clamp down on Employment Insurance recipients—Canada government has also announced dealing strictly with EI claimants.

Jim Flaherty, Canadian Finance Minister, said EI claimants found to be turning down offers of jobs considered by them to be low-paying will be losing their EI benefits. Canada has no sympathy for those who are too choosy about the jobs.

The latest ruling is in response to refusal of jobs like Christmas tree harvesting by Canadians forcing employers to look for foreign workers.