Exploited: temporary foreign workers in Canada are vulnerable

In 5 seconds Blandine Emilien and Patrice Jalette paint a troubling picture of the conditions faced by labourers brought in to this country on federal work permits.
Patrice Jalette

The “closed” work permits that make temporary foreign workers in Quebec and Canada dependent on a single employer leave them highly vulnerable and raise concerns about their precarious circumstances, poor working conditions and labour rights.

That's the finding of a report by professors Patrice Jalette of Université de Montréal's School of Industrial Relations and Blandine Emilien of the University of Bristol Business School, both affiliated with the Interuniversity Research Centre on Globalization and Work (CRIMT).

Their work is detailed in Chronique Internationale de l'IRES, a quarterly labour journal published by France's Institut de recherches économiques et sociales.

In their report, Jalette and Emilien discuss the tensions and contradictions involved in a society where the homegrown workforce has gradually withdrawn from taking backbreaking jobs, particularly in farming and food processing.

Restricted to one job and one employer

Blandine Emilien

Under Canada's Temporary Foreign Workers program, labourers are issued "closed" work permits that require them to stay and work in Canada and restrict them to one job and one employer.

One place they're recruited from is the island nation of Mauritius. Emilien has extensively researched the situation there and co-directed a short documentary on it called Promised Land, with Montreal filmmaker Catherine Lemercier.

In Mauritius, a local employment agency "sells the idea of circular migration, where workers return to their home country after working in Canada for a while,” Emilien said. “But in fact, these workers leave with no real intention of returning to their country of origin."

Rather, "they hope to become permanent residents or citizens of Canada. To get here, they agree to be under the thumb of their employer, to whom they're tied by their work permit for the first years.”

The closed work permits create a dramatic power imbalance: foreign workers become dependent on their employers for housing, food and even regularization of their immigration status, the researchers point out.

“The closed work permit is a powerful instrument of control for employers,” said Jalette.

“The workers are in a helpless position. They fear losing their permit and being deported if they report abuses or unacceptable working conditions. So they are likely to accept difficult situations and keep quiet about injustices.”

Jalette and Emilien examined the profound impact of this insecurity on the lives of temporary foreign workers.

“They live in constant fear of losing their jobs and their status, which can lead them to accept unsafe working conditions and, in some cases, dubious conditions of employment,” Jalette said. “And the closed permits can be used to pressure them and discourage them from demanding better conditions or improving their lot.”

Health and safety at risk

Emilien found that foreign workers also face increased health and safety risks in the workplace. “Many of these jobs are very physically demanding, as one worker in my documentary points out,” she noted.

“The workers are exposed to significant physical risks, such as machine-related injuries, falls and accidents. They may also face extreme working conditions, such as high temperatures, hazardous chemicals or excessive working hours.”

In addition to the physical risks, the workers' mental health also suffers. In their precarious situation, the workers live far from their families and lack social support.

“Temporary foreign workers can feel isolated and face linguistic and cultural barriers that can exacerbate their sense of vulnerability and lead to mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and even suicidal ideation,” Emilien said.

A challenge for unions, too

The influx of temporary foreign workers also poses a major challenge for the Canadian unions that represent them.

“Union representatives have to win the trust of these workers, who may be wary of unions because of their experiences in their home countries,” Jalette pointed out. “Conversely, local workers don’t always trust foreign workers to stand with them in union struggles, given their dependence on the employer.”

Jalette and Emilien found that tensions, bullying and racism can arise when local and foreign workers coexist in the workplace. This is an added challenge for unions, which must represent all their members.

Better recognition and protection

Temporary foreign workers are supposed to have the same rights as Canadian workers, but in practice their rights are often violated in multiple ways, the researchers say: unpaid overtime, illegal deductions, control over their movements during and outside working hours, barriers to accessing healthcare.

“Unions and worker rights organizations are advocating for improved working conditions for temporary foreign workers and an end to the closed permit system,” said Jalette. “They want the government to make permanent immigration easier. When we have long-term labour shortages and a permanent need for workers, it makes no sense to meet those needs with temporary immigration.”

The temporary status and dependent position of foreign workers leaves them at the mercy of employers, who benefit from having a captive, easily exploited workforce, the researchers say. Sometimes the workers' dependence is prolonged by a second temporary permit before they are granted permanent residence.

“The important role these workers play in the economy of Quebec and Canada should be recognized,” said Emilien. “They often fill essential but under-valued jobs. We must ensure that they are treated fairly, have decent working conditions and opportunities for advancement, and that the needs of workers with family responsibilities are taken into account.”

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