Document Details

2010-03-17

CBC

CBC News

Almost three-quarters of employers of temporary foreign workers inspected by the province in the past year violated employment standards, according to documents released Wednesday by the Alberta NDP.

The government inspection reports were obtained by the NDP through a freedom-of-information request.

"We have a pretty concrete set of numbers that shows that there is a systemic pattern of exploitation within Alberta of temporary foreign workers," NDP MLA Rachel Notley said. "And as citizens, as Albertans, we need to be really worried about that. Albertans don't want to be seen as exploiters of vulnerable temporary foreign workers."

According to documents, government officials found 74 per cent of employers that were inspected had violated the province's labour code. In the previous year, 56 per cent of employers were found to be in violation.

Half of all violations were for failing to pay workers properly for overtime, vacations and statutory holidays, Notley said.

She called on the province to eliminate the temporary foreign worker program and allow those workers already here to stay.

"It is exploitive and I think it, frankly, undermines the dignity and the human rights of the people that are participating in it," she said.

While inspectors investigated specific complaints, more than half of violations were discovered during random inspections, Notley said.

Figures a 'really good news story,' minister says
Alberta's minister of employment and immigration, Thomas Lukaszuk, called the NDP's revelations a "really good news story", and said he was thankful the party released the documents, because it shows that workers have been educated about their rights.

"The fact that 74 per cent of these complaints are valid complaints, that there is something that needed to be corrected, shows that they're making educated complaints," Lukaszuk said. "They know what their rights are, they know what their privileges are as Alberta employees and they're making complaints that are valid."

In 2006, Ottawa streamlined the process for companies in Alberta and British Columbia to allow them to hire temporary foreign workers more quickly.

At the time, Alberta was at the height of an oil and gas boom. Many employers in the service industry found it hard to find help as workers were lured away by higher wages in the energy sector.

But shortly afterwards, complaints stated flowing in about how workers were being treated. In late 2007, Alberta announced a team of eight inspectors would investigate complaints and carry out inspections.

According to the NDP, there were 74,028 temporary foreign workers in Alberta in 2008.

• 
  Temporary foreign workers treated poorly, NDP charges (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2010/03/17/edmonton-temporary-foreign-workers-ndp-reports.html)
  

Agriculture and horticulture workers, Occupations in services - Domestic work, Sales and service occupations - general, Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations - general, Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations - general, Labourers in food, beverage and associated products processing, Dancers, and Other

Public awareness

Alberta

English