Notice to the media
Migrant workers respond to federal and provincial governments’ ‘double-assault’ on rights of temporary foreign workers
Wednesday May 1st, 2013 at 10 A.M.
Immigrants Workers’ Centre, 4755 Van Horne, office number 110 (Plamondon Metro), Montreal.
This May Day, a coalition of temporary foreign workers, live-in caregivers, temporary agency workers and workers without status is speaking out about changes announced Monday by the federal government to the Low Skilled Temporary Foreign Workers Program.
Mohammad, a temporary worker from New Brunswick, will speak out about how Monday’s announcements had an immediate and direct impact threatening his ability to work and stay in Canada. “We are not asking for anything but a minimum of respect for our rights as temporary migrant workers,” says Mohammad.
In response to an announcement raising the minimum wage and breaking the 10$ mark, the coalition demands that the minimum wage be brought to a “liveable” amount, at twelve dollars.
They are also denouncing the stark and often invisible realities lived by precarious workers.
During the last consultation on April 5th, over 60 immigrant workers from several organisations held an open discussion on the phenomenon of precarious work. They called upon Quebec’s Minister of Labour, Agnès Maltais, putting forward a list of clear demands that the coalition says should be included in any new proposed law on precarious work, and urging the Minister to listen to those vulnerable workers who would be directly affected.
-30-
For more information please contact:
The Immigrant Workers Centre, (514) 342-2111
Noé Arteaga (French) noe@iwc-cti.ca
Mostafa Henaway (English) mostafa@iwc-cti.ca
Comments are closed.