Temporary worker program expands amid labour crunch

Thousands of additional workers from abroad could be coming here in a few months, as the federal government expands the Temporary Foreign Worker program.

While some industry groups are relieved about the ability to fill the labour gap, other worker rights advocates have their concerns.

In many sectors, it’s been incredibly hard to attract and retain workers in recent months.

So Anita Huberman, president of the Surrey Board of Trade, welcomes the expansion of the temporary foreign worker program.

“[The] Temporary Foreign Workers program is absolutely essential to the future of our economy,” Huberman told CityNews. “We do not have enough of a labour force to fill the jobs.”

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That’s particularly true in certain sectors, which often fail to attract domestic workers.

But Migrant Workers Centre staff lawyer Jonathon Braun believes the program is fundamentally flawed.

“At the very least, there really need to be open work permits,” Braun told CityNews. “So that if individuals are facing exploitation and abuse, can more easily move between jobs and assert their rights in that way.”

Meanwhile, Lily Chang with the Canadian Labour Congress says if the program is to exist in some form, there needs to be a path for these workers to secure permanent residency.

“We will be monitoring closely these changes, and making sure that the Temporary Foreign Workers are not taken advantage of by bad bosses,” said Chang.

She added that businesses seeking to attract and retain workers should also reflect on the level of compensation they’re offering, and the sort of benefits and worker protections that are in place.