New Call for Change to Temp Foreign Workers Program
Prince George, B.C. – There is a new call for a change to the Temporary Foreign Workers program.
Last week, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business released a report that outlined a new program it believes can be an improvement.
The CFIB calls it “The Introduction to Canada Visa” which it hopes would open up opportunities for those who would like to come to Canada to make a new life “You shouldn’t need a PhD to live the Canadian dream” says CFIB President Dan Kelly.
The New Democrats and labour groups agree with that thinking, however, Provincial NDP Leader John Horgan says the CFIB plan needs some adjustments.
The plan proposed by the CFIB would give foreign workers, in entry-level categories, an opportunity to work with an employer for two years as they take steps to become permanent residents.
If commitments are not kept, workers would have the ability to change employers, but not sectors or regions.
It is that second point which Horgan disagrees with because workers are not able to move out of the sectors or region. “That’s not an immigration program then, that’s confining human capital to one location or one sector and I think that what we need to do, as we have over 150 years in Canada, waves of immigrants have come to this country to build it to what it is today and it’s now time for a new wave of immigration .”
Horgan says the current temporary foreign workers is not a path to citizenship, “It is a return ticket in your back pocket and when the boss is tired of you, away you go, you’re not able to move on to another job, you don’t have the ability to take your skills and go to another employer, you are an indentured person, that needs to be solved.
The New Democrats are calling on the Provincial Government to push the Federal Government to replace the temporary foreign worker program with a system or program that provides permanent immigration opportunities.
Comments
It is a complex issue. But I actually agree with most of the recommendations. The TFW program is absolutely necessary and should be a stop gap measure, not a business model.
The TFW program keeps wages down and welfare keeps some Canadians from wanting to work. So what’s the solution?
I am not sure of my facts, but there is word that Canadian workers are losing their hours to the foreign workers. I am sorry if this is true because it is not right.
Good point oldcoot. In a free capitalist society, that the CFIB, apparently favour, the price of labour will be bid up to whatever is needed to get workers. If you bring in more supply of workers, then the wages stay low. So, we fill a job at $10.25 an hour with a TFW, and also have to pay someone to sit on welfare because they can’t/or won’t/ work for $10.25 an hour.
Another thing that seems to be lost in this discussion, is what happens when all the resources are gone, but all these new Canadians are still here. This demand for workers is being fueled by a frantic pace to get pretty much every hydrocarbon in the ground on a boat to China. There seems to be no thought to future generations. There’s no thought to who’s going to employee all the new Canadians.
Yes ski51 and this province pushed hard to bring in TFWs. All the lies about shortage of skilled workers and Pat Bell telling us we no nothing about long wall mining in Canada.
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