The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) welcomed Saturday the approval of a new law in the Ontario Legislature providing protection to foreign workers, including Filipinos.
The labor department said the “Employment Protection for Foreign Nationals Act (Live-in caregivers and Others), 2009’’ will greatly benefit Filipino workers, who are mostly caregivers in Canada’s east-central province.
“This is really a good development, especially so that one of the salient features here is the prohibition against charging fees,’’ said Director Salome Mendoza, head of the DoLE Canada desk.
Apart from the prohibition on fees, the new law also prohibits reprisal (by employer or recruiter) against live-in caregivers for exercising their rights, and retaining their possessions or properties, including passports.
“No person who employs a foreign national as a live-in caregiver or in prescribed employment, and no person acting on the employer’s behalf, shall intimidate or penalize or attempt or threaten to intimidate or penalize the foreign national,’’ the law states.
“No person acting as a recruiter in connection with the employment of a foreign national as a live-in caregiver or in other prescribed employment, and no person acting on the recruiter’s behalf, shall intimidate or penalize or attempt or threaten to intimidate or penalize the foreign national,” the law says.
The Employment Act stipulates that stiff penalties will be imposed upon workers abuses, including a fine of 50,000 Canadian dollars and prison terms.
Unlike the provinces of Saskatschewan, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia, all in the Western part of Canada, which are set to renew existing employment agreements with the Philippines, Ontario is yet to come up with an agreement for job opportunities for Filipinos.
But Mendoza said the new law already signifies Ontario’s political will to safeguard the welfare of foreign workers who comprise majority of its labor supply.
According to the DoLE official, 70 percent of workers in Ontario are caregivers.
Moreover, Mendoza also lauded amendments to Canada’s Immigration and Refugees Protection Act for temporary foreign workers.
“We are ranking number one in terms of temporary workers in Canada (as of 2008). Thus, the amended Protection Act is a welcome development,’’ she said.
Mendoza said that temporary workers such as the semi-skilled workers like the food counter attendants and hotel and restaurant workers are currently not included in the program for permanency.
The amended version of the Immigration Act will provide and ensure, among others, fair treatment of temporary workers, she said.