Canada is decreasing their dependence on low-wage foreign workers. Hmmmm!

BY PAUL JUNOR

On Monday, August 26^th, 2024, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the Canadian government has decided to decrease its dependence on low-wage foreign workers. He states, “Two years ago, in the aftermath of the pandemic and facing severe shortages, we adjusted the program for temporary foreign workers. That’s what the business community needed and that’s what the business community was asking for. At that moment in time, those changes helped. They helped the economy, and they helped businesses make it through a challenging moment in our economic recovery.”

Details of the changes were announced in a press release issued on Monday, August 26^th. The press release is titled, “Minister Boissonault reducing the number of temporary foreign workers in Canada,” and mentions that the TFW Program is “Designed as an extraordinary measure to be used only when qualified Canadians and permanent residents are not able to fill job vacancies. Unfortunately, the TFW Program has been used to circumvent hiring talented workers in Canada.”

The Minister met with business organizations earlier in August and informed them that measures will be implemented to decrease access to the program as well as ensuring that there is greater compliance.

Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages states in the press release, “The Temporary Foreign program was designed to address labour market shortages when qualified Canadians were not able to fill those roles. Right now, we know that there are more Canadians qualified to fill open positions. The changes being made today will prioritize Canadians workers and ensure Canadians can trust the program is meeting the needs of our economy.”

Some of the changes that will be implemented, effective September 26^th, 2024, include:

• The Government of Canada will refuse Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) in the low-wage stream, applicable in census metropolitan areas with an unemployment rate of 6%, or higher. Exceptions will be granted from seasonal and non-seasonal jobs in food security sectors (primary agriculture, food processing), as well as construction and healthcare
• Employers will be allowed to hire no more than 10% of their total workforce through the TFW Program. This maximum employment percentage will be applied to the low-wage stream and is a further reduction from the March 2024 reductions. Exceptions will be granted for seasonal and non-seasonal jobs in food security (primary agriculture, food processing, and fish processing), as well as healthcare and construction
• The maximum duration of employment for workers hired through the low-wage stream will be reduced to one year from two years.

The Government of Canada expects Canadian employers will do their part to ensure that Canadians are gainfully employed. The press release notes, “Employers in Canada have a responsibility to invest in the full range of workers available in this country, such as: young people, newcomers, and persons with disabilities, who are too often an untapped economic resource in Canada. They must also invest in retraining or upskilling to ensure that those they currently employ can adapt to the economy of the future.”

Minister Boissonault told reporters in Halifax, “We will have, with today’s changes, about 65,000 fewer people participating in the temporary foreign worker program.”

Chris Ramsaroop, a member of the Justicia for Migrant Workers describes the actions of the government as a “Knee-jerk response” that will not ensure that temporary migrant workers who participate in the agriculture sector will benefit. The federal government has overwhelmingly failed to protect migrant workers and rather than addressing the exploitation, they are blaming the workers themselves. Agriculture, construction and health care – the industries that employ the largest number of temporary foreign workers will continue the status quo.”

Ramsaroop has deep reservations about the possibility that there could be mass deportations as a result of many of the jobs that migrant workers are presently filling due to chronic labour shortages in these affected sectors. He mentioned that this could result in the possibility that the Canadian government could “Criminalize and vilify this population of migrant workers who have been trying to work and earn decent wages here in Canada.”