UFCW Canada’s new report calls for legislative, regulatory reforms to safeguard the rights of migrant agri workers

A new report from UFCW (the United Food and Commercial Workers Union) Canada titled ‘The Status of Migrant Farm Workers in Canada, 2020’ has called for urgent changes to safeguard the safety, and rights of thousands of migrant agricultural workers.

The report calls for 14 legislative as well as regulatory reforms to a system which leaves migrant agricultural workers more vulnerable than Canadian workers to exploitation and health risks.

“The federal and provincial governments must act to end the systemic discrimination that restricts the rights and protections for migrant workers and leaves them invisible, afraid, and powerless to raise concerns about their housing and workplace conditions,” Paul Meinema, the national president of UFCW Canada, said.

To recall, UFCW Canada represents over 250,000 members across Canada working in every sector of the food industry