GOVERNMENT INVESTS IN MEASURES TO PROTECT TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKERS Since the very beginning of this pandemic, the Government of Canada has taken a number of important steps to ensure the safe arrival of farm workers, who play a vital role in preserving Canada’s food security. To protect the health and safety of Canadian and migrant farm workers, the Government has been working with municipal, provincial and territorial governments, as well as farmers, workers and other employers who participate in the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program. Despite these efforts, there have been COVID-19 outbreaks on a number of Canadian farms that have significantly impacted the health and safety of workers. The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion and the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, have announced that the Government is taking additional action to reduce the incidence and impact of COVID-19 outbreaks on farms.
With an investment of $58.6 million, the Government is strengthening the TFW Program and making further investments to safeguard the health and safety of Canadian and temporary foreign workers from COVID-19 by: • Investing $7.4 million to increase supports to temporary foreign workers, including $6 million for direct outreach to workers delivered through migrant worker support organizations; • Strengthening the employer inspections regime, particularly on farms, and making improvements to how tips and allegations of employer non-compliance are addressed (such as by initiating an inspection) through an investment of $16.2 million; and • Investing $35 million to improve health and safety on farms and in employee living quarters to prevent and respond to the spread of COVID-19. This will go toward direct infrastructure improvements to living quarters, temporary or emergency housing (on- or off-farm), as well as PPE, sanitary stations, and any other health and safety measures. Non-repayable contributions will be cost-shared 50:50 with the applicants. “From the very beginning of the pandemic, the health and safety of temporary foreign workers has been a top priority,” stated Minister Qualtrough. “Any unsafe working conditions are completely unacceptable. While we are proud of the worker protections we have in this country, we recognize that there are important issues that need to be addressed within the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and we are taking action. We are working tirelessly to ensure that temporary foreign workers rights are protected in Canada.” The Government will also work to develop mandatory requirements to improve employer-provided
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CANADIAN MEAT BUSINESS
March/April August 20204
2019 | 100TH ISSUE
