Migrants Rights Advocates Denounce Inadequate Ontario Farm Inspections
Media reports that in the first two weeks of a recent provincial
inspection blitz of farms in southwestern Ontario one in five farms
were
issued non-compliance orders for COVID-19 safety measures. Ontario
Ministry of Labour inspectors had conducted 31 field visits in the
western region, most in Windsor and Essex County, the area
which had the highest concentration of COVID-19 cases in 2020.
The federal government is responsible for the living conditions of
migrant farm workers and provincial governments have responsibility for
overseeing working conditions on farms. Both the federal and provincial
governments follow the imperialist outlook that workers are
commodities, not people with rights. Since the beginning of the
Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) in the late sixties, the
government has brought thousands of Caribbean and Mexican workers to
Canada every year to meet the needs of agri-business. These workers
live in conditions of servitude, tied to one employer and denied the
right to collectively organize in defence of their rights, under
threat of being returned to their home country if they speak out. Last
year 20,500 temporary foreign agricultural workers came to Ontario.
More than 1,780 contracted COVID-19 and three died.
The inspections did not include the
bunkhouses where workers live, only working areas. Six of the 31
locations inspected were issued COVID-19 non-compliance orders, most
related to physical distancing and mask protocols.
 Justice
4 Migrant Workers (J4MW) denounced the failure of the government to
take any measures to change the living and working conditions
of migrant farm workers that created the conditions for the spread of
COVID-19 amongst workers on Ontario farms and said that it makes no
sense to have an inspection blitz prior to the
workers' arrival. The J4MW spokesperson, Chris Ramsaroop, also pointed
out that employers are given advance notice of inspections and that the
presence of translators from the Mexican consulate at the inspections
does nothing to support the workers. The government says that the
translators are there to "ensure workers are heard during the
inspections," but J4MW points out that this actually increases the
likelihood of reprisal against workers who speak out, as Mexican
government officials have the power to deny approval to individuals who
apply to Canada's temporary foreign worker program.
Justice 4 Migrant Workers has been calling for the province to enact
immediate paid sick leave, expanded health and safety regulations for
the agriculture industry, guarantee protection for workers who speak
out about unsafe conditions, and include worker housing under the Ontario Health and Safety Act. Workers often live in crowded conditions which make it difficult to control the spread of infectious diseases.
Above all, the need is for permanent resident status for all
workers, a recognition that migrant workers are part of the Canadian
working class and a guarantee of their right to safe and healthy
working and living conditions when they are in Canada and a path to
citizenship for workers and their families.
This article was published in
February 26, 2021 - No. 11
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/WF2021/Articles/WO08113.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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