(Quebec) Denunciations of abuse experienced by temporary foreign workers led the Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST) to issue 97 statements of offense to 11 companies in 2023 .
This information was revealed Tuesday by the President and CEO of the CNESST, Manuelle Oudar, during a press conference in Quebec City accompanied by the Minister of Labor, Jean Boulet.
Mme Oudar and Mr. Boulet took stock of the actions taken by the CNESST this year to better protect temporary foreign workers “vulnerable to risks” and “unaware of labor standards”.
In Quebec, the number of temporary foreign workers has tripled since 2015. Formerly associated with agriculture, they are present in the manufacturing sector, hotels, accommodation, retail and food processing.
They have the same rights and obligations as any other Quebec worker, recalled Mr. Boulet, revealing that the company Bombardier recreational products, accused of underpaying its Mexican workers, had received 41 of the 97 tickets this year.
In 2022, the CNESST had only issued a total of 14 tickets.
Asked whether the temporary foreign worker program was “modern slavery,” as denounced by United Nations special rapporteur Tomoya Obokata, Mr. Boulet said there was “room for improvement.”
He recalled that in September, his government had instructed the Commission of Labor Market Partners (CPMT) to evaluate the impact of the so-called “closed” work permit on the Quebec labor market and on workers.
This type of work permit has long been criticized because it ensures that a temporary foreign worker is tied to a single employer. In recent months, several cases of abuse have been reported in the media.
However, since 2019, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) can grant an open work permit to vulnerable workers (mistreated, victims of violence or at risk of violence).
“We will wait for the recommendations of the CPMT,” Mr. Boulet said only on Tuesday.
Occupational injuries
The minister also reports an increase in work accidents and occupational illnesses among temporary foreign workers.
The number of recognized professional injuries increased from 1,193 in 2018, to 2,176 in 2020, to 3,541 in 2022, because there are more temporary workers than ever, and at the same time, the CNESST is also more active, according to Mr. Ball.
“This is bad news. […] but good news, because they can benefit from compensation and all the rehabilitation services that are provided by the CNESST,” he declared.
Last March, Mr. Boulet announced that the CNESST was expanding the activities of its Prevention Squad, in order to reach workers and employers in a greater number of sectors of activity.
A cohort of around ten prevention agents was added during the summer period of 2023 to the permanent team, already made up of around a dozen people.
Since March, the CNESST has given 286 workshops, raising awareness among 2,500 temporary foreign workers who work within 300 companies. In addition, nearly 1,000 employers benefited from personalized advice.
The CNESST also systematically checks placement and recruitment agencies in order to identify those that do not have a license.