Protect vulnerable foreign workers, say NDP candidates Siksay and Davies
Deportation of farm workers shows urgent need for overhaul of Conservative's immigration rules
Reacting to news that Mexican farm workers are getting fired and deported back to Mexico for trying to form a union, New Democrat candidates Bill Siksay (Burnaby Douglas) and Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway) condemned the Conservatives and Liberals for altering Canada's immigration laws and foreign worker system so that foreign workers are placed in dangerous situations and fewer families are allowed in Canada as citizens.
"We now have hundreds of thousands of temporary workers in Canada working in fear," said Siksay. "They're afraid to report dangerous working conditions and exploitation because they risk being deported. Rather than face deportation, many of these workers would rather go underground."
Don Davies echoed Siksay's concerns: "Rather than temporary workers living with the fear of deportation hanging over their heads, we should bring in new Canadian families from all over the world to work in safe and decent situations. Mr. Harper and Mr. Dion pushed the new laws through and they ignored NDP objections - now they face responsibility for consequences such as this shameful episode. We will reverse the new immigration laws that encourage this type of exploitation."
Siksay and Davies were reacting to reports that fourteen Mexican farm workers were fired from their jobs and deported after trying to form a union. A study from Simon Fraser University and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives found that immigrant farm workers are regularly exposed to unsafe work conditions.
"Stephen Harper passed immigration laws that are unfair and will tear families apart by giving the Immigration Minister arbitrary powers to decide who stays and who go. People who try to play by the Harper government's rules can't win because he would rather have a quick-fix," said Davies. "Stephane Dion and his MPs allowed the Harper Conservatives to do this. Dion and Harper want to simply use Canada's immigration system as a source for cheap labour."
"Only Jack Layton and the New Democrats will work to bring families together for a new life in Canada," said Siksay. "Only Jack Layton and the New Democrats have listened to immigrant communities and show true leadership in welcoming new Canadians to our country."
