Forty-eight Surrey businesses have been fined a collective $914,000 over the past eight years for non-compliance with or , with $473,250 in those fines listed as unpaid.
The federal programs香蕉视频直播� purpose, under the umbrella of Immigration and Citizenship Canada, is to oversee the hiring of temporary workers and set out conditions employers must abide by. Inspections are done in an effort to ensure compliance.
Eight numbered companies are among Surrey香蕉视频直播檚 48, which includes construction, trucking, agriculture, restaurants, importing, security, a private elementary school, automotive, and labour services are among them.
All told, penalties have been levied against between 2016 and 2024.
The highest penalty applied to a Surrey business 香蕉视频直播� a numbered company 香蕉视频直播� was a $129,000 fine plus a one-year ban. The lowest fine was $500.
The also indicates Surrey businesses have reaped a collective 22 years in bans on hiring temporary workers.
Ken Hardie, Liberal MP for Fleetwood-Port Kells, said 香蕉视频直播減redatory practices involving temporary foreign workers and students, etcetera, they香蕉视频直播檝e been talked about for a long time and it香蕉视频直播檚 taken us longer than it should have to really start to grapple with this.香蕉视频直播�
He said there香蕉视频直播檚 now 香蕉视频直播渞eal discussions going on in Ottawa香蕉视频直播� about the selling Labour Market Impact Assessments for 香蕉视频直播渙utrageous amounts of money when they香蕉视频直播檙e not to be sold. So there香蕉视频直播檚 been a lot of gaming the system and my guess is the numbers that you saw in that report are low compared with what香蕉视频直播檚 actually going on.香蕉视频直播�
An LMIA is a document an employer requires before hiring a foreign worker, with a positive LMIA indicating a need exists for a foreign worker to fill a job.
香蕉视频直播淭his is all just the mutterings on the street you hear continuously about people abusing the system,香蕉视频直播� Hardie told the Now-Leader. 香蕉视频直播淛ust in the last couple of days I saw some action on the LMIAs but that said, we have a lot on our plate right now that we香蕉视频直播檙e talking about, and it香蕉视频直播檚 mainly housing and the tax system and things like that.香蕉视频直播�
Surrey Board of Trade CEO Anita Huberman called the situation 香蕉视频直播渃oncerning.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淚 was not aware of that,香蕉视频直播� she told the Now-Leader on Friday, when told about the 48. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e had recent conversations with the federal government on the temporary foreign worker program. There are industries such as the agriculture sector, some of the Indian sweets shops, the manufacturers that require temporary foreign workers, there is a move to modify legislation for TFWs (temporary foreign workers) and further consultation with the private sector but I was not aware of the severity of the situation that you香蕉视频直播檙e speaking of.香蕉视频直播�
Randeep Sarai, Liberal MP for Surrey Centre, said the government has made it easier for employees who are not being paid or not getting a job after they arrive to report this to the Canada Border Services Agency which will then provide them with an open work permit while it investigates. 香蕉视频直播淚f it turns out to be true, they will give the opportunity to the employee to find another employer.香蕉视频直播�
The federal government, he added, has also changed the immigration consultants industry from being self-regulating to government-regulated. 香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 repercussions and penalties香蕉视频直播� Sarai said, 香蕉视频直播渂ut all of these do require the employee to report, and to report the irregularities or criminal activity or abuse.香蕉视频直播� Employment Standards also does audits to confirm if employers are actually employing these workers.
As for unpaid fines Sarai, who is also a lawyer, noted that getting a judgment is one thing but collecting on it 香蕉视频直播渋s the hardest part always.
香蕉视频直播淚f the company doesn香蕉视频直播檛 pay they usually are able to go after the directors of that company too, so I believe it is just a matter of time,香蕉视频直播� he said.
香蕉视频直播淭he program overall is a fairly effective program and does really well, but there is a small amount of abuse that does happen and we probably need to do more and we香蕉视频直播檙e always looking at different ways to plug those holes where abuse or misuse has taken place.香蕉视频直播�
Provincial Labour Minister Harry Bains, NDP MLA for Surrey-Newton, said his position has been 香蕉视频直播� and always will be 香蕉视频直播� that regardless of one香蕉视频直播檚 immigration status or their arrangement is to work here, 香蕉视频直播渆very worker must be paid and protected just like any other worker.
香蕉视频直播淭hese are the few who take advantage by cheating their workers and cheating their competitors, which is not the right thing to do and I don香蕉视频直播檛 think I would ever stand for that,香蕉视频直播� Bains said. The NDP government, when it was first formed, brought in the Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act requiring that employers to register the employees and that all recruiters must be licensed if they are to recruit for an employer within B.C., he added.
香蕉视频直播淪o what happens when a complaint comes to the Employment Standards branch about an employer who may not be complying with the laws, and if the Employment Standards Branch finds them in violation,香蕉视频直播� Bains explained, 香蕉视频直播渢hat information then is shared with the federal counterparts so they can take action on their side.香蕉视频直播�
The provincial government then unregisters the employer and it wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 be able to hire temporary foreign workers, Bains said, 香蕉视频直播渂ecause the federal government requires them to be registered with us as well. If they are not registered with us they will not be able to hire a temporary foreign worker going forward, period.香蕉视频直播�
Bains said he香蕉视频直播檚 aware of LMIAs or sponsorship letters being sold, 香蕉视频直播渁nd they香蕉视频直播檙e not supposed to be sold. I have asked my federal counterparts numerous times that there should not be that requirement.
If it香蕉视频直播檚 known what sectors are facing a shortage, the labour minister said, 香蕉视频直播渢hen why don香蕉视频直播檛 we just issue work permits in that sector to those qualified who are applying to work here as a temporary foreign worker, then there香蕉视频直播檚 no need for that letter which I香蕉视频直播檓 told is being sold for a lot of money, which is illegal.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淎t the end of the day,香蕉视频直播� Bains said of the federal government, 香蕉视频直播渋t is their file, it香蕉视频直播檚 their responsibility and we香蕉视频直播檙e doing everything we can at the provincial level, through the Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act, but if there are areas of loopholes and gaps that some bad actors are using to make a lot of money on the backs of the temporary foreign workers, then we should close those gaps.香蕉视频直播�
