Rising Reports of Abuse and Poor Working Conditions Among Temporary Foreign Workers in Bas-Saint-Laurent

Psychological harassment, working days of more than 12 hours, refused sick leave. In Bas-Saint-Laurent, more and more temporary foreign workers are reporting situations of abuse or poor working conditions to the Accueil et Integration Bas-Saint-Laurent organization.

We have employers who make threats, psychological harassment, sexual harassmentobserves Ana Seaton, assistant director for Reception and Integration Bas-Saint-Laurent (AIBSL).hours a day.”,”text”:”There are people who have to come back to work when they are sick, there are people who have to work 13 to 14 hours a day.”}}” >There are people who are forced to return to work when they are sick, there are people who are forced to work 13 to 14 hours a day.

The number of temporary foreign workers is higher than before – as are the number of calls to report this type of workplace abuse, observes Ms Seaton. The situation would be similar on the side of the Immigrant Workers Center (IWC-CTI).

The immigration status of the person is directly related to the employer, so it gives power to the employer.

We have employers who take the immigration documents of the person when they do not have the rightswarns Ms. Seaton, who explains that these workers have a closed work permit linked to the employer. We see all kinds of discrimination in the workplace.

It’s a feeling of hopelessness and disappointmentcontinues Ms. Seaton.[Les travailleurs viennent] in Canada and in Quebec by saying: “I’m finally going to be safe”, and that’s not necessarily the case.”,”text”:”[Les travailleurs viennent] in Canada and Quebec thinking, “I’m finally going to be safe,” and that’s not necessarily the case.”}}”>[Les travailleurs viennent] in Canada and Quebec saying to themselves: “I will finally be safe”, and this is not necessarily the case.

Organizations like AIBSL refer foreign workers in this type of situation to lawyers specializing in immigration, the CNESST or to Immigration Canada, which can grant them an open work permit allowing them to change employers when proof is provided that the employee is the victim of abuse.

With information from Marie-Christine Rioux