it was stated previously that part of the responsebilities of these foriegn miners was to teach our miners how to perform these tasks as we dont have enough qualified people. my question is how can they when they wont be able to communicate in english. sounds more like a pile of BS to me.

For those of you that think unions are only about wages maybe you should think again.

No there not just about wage…. if we could only get them to work as hard as some of the foriegn then we would have something!

I thought slave labour ended years ago in Canada. I’m happy to pay union dues for the legal action.

What everyone seems to be missing is that these are Canadian Jobs, not foreign jobs! Why is this not enforced to ensure that Canadians have jobs first, not foreigners! We seem to be forced into these situations and then have to fight it out in court when it should never have to go to court! English and French are our languages first. If the job applicants cannot speak or write English they should not be applying for the jobs in Canada and the our government should not be letting this happen!

Maybe we will have to do what the USA does. Even though they have one official language – English (at least in some parts it seems like they are speaking english .. LOL) they translate a heck of a lot of documents into Spanish, Korean, etc.

Will those 100 English words be taken from a George Carlin routine?

It’s good to see someone trying to stop the sell off of our resources and our culture to the Chinese. Let them buy the final products are fair prices.

Anyway you cut it this is wrong,these companys are all about profit not safety.This program is a way to gain cheep labour and because its in the North they think who cares, who will know? These workers will do as there told and shutup its really a shame hard to believe this day and age were going backwards.This program must end it has little to do with skilled workers more about money, go Steelworkers keep up the pressure

“.This program is a way to gain cheep labour and because its in the North they think who cares, who will know? “

I disagree. This is all about China taking over as much of the world’s resources as possible. Sort of like how the Americans are trying to secure all the mid-east oil. Except with all the wars and other nastiness.

We will all be chinese one day. They are taking over. Population is power. It takes resources to grow your population.

My other point though is why is it OK for Canadians to go overseas and work? Isn’t that the same only opposite?

You are right about Canadians working overseas, too! But they are filling a void that other countries need. With this instance, they are taking jobs away from people that are qualified to do the jobs and bringing people over to work that will be cheap labour without complaints and safety! We have safety rules for a reason not like the country that is bringing in these workers that use and abuse their people!!

When Canadians work overseas there is an extensive process to be followed. There also must be proof that they are not taking jobs from citizens of that country, as well, most Canadians that work overseas are highly specialised in that particular field. For example,Canadian trained Power Engineers (1st & 2nd Class) are highly sought after because they have a far more stringent training & schooling regimen than most other countries.
I’m pretty sure I’ll still be Canadian even if we have a mass influx of Chinese Nationals :)

You are right Miss G, But it seems as though the very people who are supposed to protect and serve us are the very one’s backing this sort of thing. Liberals and Con’s.
I’ve got to agree with Axman also, China taking over all our resources. People are not thinking out of the box. This is about control, power, greed. Don’t think for one minute that this is for the good of the people. If it was then they would pay them a Canadian rate, speak and understand English and abide by our rules.

Of course the company owners do not want to teach their workers more than 100 words of English … if the workers learned English, then the workers would want to stay in Canada when they discover Labour Codes, Human Rights, democracy and the other benefits that Canadians take for granted. Based on my previous experience gained while working with young Chinese university students in China, the number one priority for many of them is to learn enough English to leave China.

right on, some good dialogue here about this…speak up more! let the gov’ts of this country know…i agree with a few posts…safety is paramount and communication is key in maintaining that…not if but when an accident will happen because of miscommunication, then what? Heads will roll for sure…if not, then they should, employer, gov’t or otherwise…and make no mistake, some of these oversea workers will claim asylum…at who’s cost? you got it, us!

Posted by: jiminy cricket on November 22 2012 5:43 AM
No there not just about wage…. if we could only get them to work as hard as some of the foriegn then we would have something!
————————————–
And all non union workers are unskilled.

So would we all be happier if they came to this country as immigrants and brought their families with them? Bought houses, paid taxes, sent kids to schools, used our medical system etc.? We seem to welcome Fillipino people to do a minimum wage McJob in order for me to get my coffee a little faster. Just a thought from a guy who’s dad was an immigrant 65 years ago. He never spoke great english and probably did a job that some Canadian living here at the time could have done.

so those documents could be in Chinese or Manderin..then they would understand them. Most people worldwide speak enough English to get by.

Just saying that not once has one person posted that they want a job in that mine….maybe they can’t find workers.

Like PGguy1234 says…no body complains when it’s a foreign worker at DQ or a naany for their kid or if it’s a doctor from another country so….

Good post PGguy.

“Maybe we will have to do what the USA does. Even though they have one official language – English (at least in some parts it seems like they are speaking english .. LOL) they translate a heck of a lot of documents into Spanish, Korean, etc” .. why? Its bad enough that some ICBC offices also supply thier pamphlets in punjabi which, last I checked, is NOT any of the official languages of Canada. So why is a crown corporation doing this?
And now you think everyone should pay the expense to make sure foreign workers can come over here and not have to learn our language to operate here?

I’m not knocking the minority. I’m saying the Corporations are given too much power and are being set up with too much control.
Live here buy here and have the same rights as the fellow your working beside.

Tell me, where does it stop! The minority that is working at McD’s gets the same treatment as all. Minimum wage set by the B.C. Government.

I read that these jobs were posted. If so, then there are some things that should be known:

Did no one apply?

Did no union workers apply because its a non-union mine?

Did no one qualify? if not, why?

What wage was offered, compared to other mines?

I see lots of racist rhetoric on here but we sure seem light on details.

Interceptor

1) 97 applications were received by HD mining, none of them were deemed acceptable to the firm because the applicants don’t speak Cantonese or mandarin.

2) The applications were from experienced B.C. miners (union members).

3)Again they failed to qualify because they didn’t speak a non official language.

4) The wages were mentioned scantly, however the actual wage was never disclosed.

5) HD mining is a state owned company, it’s goal is to mine the coal and ship it to China.

The bottom line is simple, this is a communist country, backing a state owned firm is exploiting BC for it’s coal. They want to have Chinese nationals working in the facility so they can be controlled.

The workers will not have the freedom of movement in Canada that we enjoy, they will be watched by the Chinese secret police (Chinese version of the Russian KGB).

They will not be protected as Canadian workers are protected by regulations and laws preventing dangerous work practices and employment standards.

This needs to stop, this is a very serious issue that can have long ranging repercussions for BC residents.

Professional is right! They want cheap slave labour that cannot complain without the wrath of their secret police! They will try to enforce their policies in our country! They do not want workers that will disrupt their business schedule, so Canadians or any other nationality that could do the work will never be hired because of this!

Axman: “I disagree. This is all about China taking over as much of the world’s resources as possible. Sort of like how the Americans are trying to secure all the mid-east oil. Except with all the wars and other nastiness.”

Agreed. Invasion and wars and all that cool stuff is just too expensive and highly problematic (have the Americans figured this out yet?)that will eventually break a country with the cost and the trouble of whitewashing their own people to buy in (although at the same time, make a few families and corporations filthy richer). Strategic and targeted financial takeover by greasing the right wheels with policymakers is by far the best bet. Our fearless leaders are obviously letting it happen.

Excellent post Professional.

Say what you want about the labour movement, but I thank them wholeheartedly as they seem, time and again & throughout our young history, to be the only watchdogs on our behalf. You don’t have to be a union worker to benefit from their continuous fight, people, don’t forget that.

I’m not a “union guy”, but to me, this issue strikes me as one that should raise the eyebrows of everyone who cares about the employment environment within BC and Canada for that matter.

I don’t believe that this is a “union issue” per se, but if industry is so focused on ignoring the domestic labour market that stuff like this occurs, then good on the union for stepping up to the plate. The buck should have stopped with the Provincial and/or Federal Governments . . .

The buck does stop there NMG… alas the Gov’t shoves the buck into their own pockets.

Canada is a free country. This means anyone can work here. Maybe the union members in the photo should wear proper footwear instead of running shoes. Also be in better shape physically. Just saying.

PGguy1234, as a Canadian have you ever worked overseas? This situation cannot be compared to Canadians working overseas. I’ve worked out of the country for about 12 years. (not serving muffins and washing dishes) All of the projects that I’ve been on involved sharing knowledge, technical training and showing the local people how to work safely.

“PGguy1234, as a Canadian have you ever worked overseas? This situation cannot be compared to Canadians working overseas. I’ve worked out of the country for about 12 years. (not serving muffins and washing dishes) All of the projects that I’ve been on involved sharing knowledge, technical training and showing the local people how to work safely.”

And if you believe what the mine says, these miners have technical knowledge and skills that we don’t.

If the unions don’t step up to the plate like they always do, you anti union snivelers would still be reaching forward with outstretched arms asking for more gruel!

PGguy1234, do you believe what the mine says?

onemansthoughts or should it be onewomansthoughts? What does it matter what the guys are wearing and how do you know what their fitness level is? Do you want to see some skinny guys in pumps??

Hey dragonmaster, not to knock Unions, or their opposition to importing foreign workers if people here are available to do the same job, for which I commend and fully support them, but how come their members, on average, still have to go further and further into debt to afford anything MORE than ‘gruel’? Just like those who aren’t union members do, on average, only maybe a little more so?

What if EVERYONE was a union member, and ALL our industries were ‘government’ owned, (by ‘our’ governments, that is, not China’s), and made everything that could possibly be made in Canada right here in Canada, and priced it “at cost” to us the Consumers, the same way all prices are currently computed, wouldn’t we ALL “still be reaching forward with outstretched arms asking for more gruel”, metaphorically (and financially) speaking, that is?

And, again on average, still have to indebt ourselves further to pay the price of anything more, if not for enough ‘gruel’ itself?

Fact is, ALL ‘costs’ still add up to ‘price’, even if all profits were completely eliminated. And all our industries were publicly, i.e., government, owned. But are ALL ‘costs’ DISTRIBUTED as Consumer INCOMES as they’re carried forward into ‘prices’?

When all products, taken collectively, reach the market, even with an “at cost” price attached to them, are there EVER going to be enough Consumer incomes, again taken collectively, (even if equally distributed, i.e., the current ‘rich’ have been made ‘poor’ to the point of universal equality, and kept there), to fully pay FOR what we’ve made FROM the money earned FROM what we’ve made?

And if there isn’t, then just WHO are all us Union members going to go on strike against? The ‘government’? Which, in a democracy, even a New Democracy, is supposed to be US? And to whom are we going to owe the debt we still need to incur to afford anything more than our meagre, but equal, ration of ‘gruel’? Ourselves?

Do the math sometime. It needs doing.

Maybe a foreign scab would do your job for less money and less complaining.

I think this is a complete sham. Canadians, all across the country should be up in arms about this. Once they have their foot in the door, anyone’s community or industry could be next.
In one news item I read that these Chinese workers also needed to be trained in this ‘long wall’ mining. So what would be the difference in training experienced, qualified Canadian miners to do it?
Professional: is right. Their secret police wouldn’t be able to watch over them. Also they will be taking what they have learned here back to China to be better able to send their ‘specialised’ workers into other countries to do the same thing.
Whoever agreed to this should be called to answer to us.

This is all part of Harper’s stated policy of ‘enlightened sovereignty’ that he announced at the G8 meeting in Ontario a few years back.

Part and parcel of this situation is Harper’s latest policy of a free trade foreign investment treaty with China… allowing Chinese state owned enterprises to sue Canadian governments and communities that try to regulate Chinese state owned enterprises here in Canada.

If we were to try and say that we need a WCB or Work Safe BC inspection, then the provincial government becomes liable for interfering with Chinese investments… heaven forbid we have issues with a project like the Northern Gateway Pipeline Inc.

Its all about treason to your country for the benefit of monopoly capitalists and their close cousins communist Chinese.