Parliamentary report a blueprint for a two-tiered labour market

Edmonton – A parliamentary committee report tabled today about the Temporary Foreign Worker Program shows that the Liberals are not likely to curb the exploitation of guest workers.

The report, which was tabled by the Standing Committee on Human Resources Skills and Social Development includes several recommendations to remove or limit the requirements for employers to prove that they’ve looked for Canadians first.

“The report also confirms that the Liberals have committed themselves to maintaining, and indeed growing, a two-tier labour market, with a top tier of Canadians and permanent residents who have full rights, and a lower tier of guest workers who don’t,” Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan said. “As long as this kind of two-tier labour market is allowed to persist in Canada, employers will be able to use the lower tier to drive down the wage of the higher tier. They’ll be able to use the lower tier as a way to shirk their responsibilities to things like training for Canadian workers.”

Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan is available to comment on the full report. Contact AFL communication director Olav Rokne at 780-289-6528.