Study reveals low wage job cycle, workplace rights violations
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(Vancouver)
In spite of high education levels, many recent immigrants to BC find themselves stuck in low wage jobs, with few meaningful protections in
the workplace, according to a new study released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Philippine Women Centre.
Workplace Rights for Immigrants in BC: The Case of Filipino Workers reveals that despite a booming BC economy, recent immigrants to the province often find economic security elusive. They frequently work in unsafe conditions with little training or access to information about their rights. The study also finds that enforcement of the Employment Standards Act (ESA) is effectively non-existent. None of the study’s interviewees had made use of the English-only “self-help kit” (the only way to report violations to the Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services), despite experiencing ESA violations.
“The provincial government’s rollback of employment standards in 2002 means that many basic employment rights now exist only as ‘paper-rights,’ particularly for recent immigrants,” says Habiba Zaman, SFU professor and co-author of the report.
“If no one has informed you of your rights and no one is actively enforcing them, how can you enjoy the protections that are supposed to exist for all workers in BC?” continues Zaman.
“Highly educated immigrants are arriving in Canada with the promise of good employment,” says Cecilia Diocson, co-author of the report and executive director of the National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada. “Instead, they are experiencing a severe transition penalty in the form of low-paying jobs, often with inadequate protections. This is a cycle that stretches into unsatisfactory employment for years and can eventually result in long-term economic hardship.”
Based on the report’s findings and consultation with immigrant-serving organizations, the study makes extensive policy recommendations,
including:
- Eliminate the $6 first-job wage, and increase the minimum wage to $10 per hour.
- Institute
proactive monitoring teams who would randomly investigate workplaces
for employment standards and WorkSafe violations. Increase penalties
for violations. - Eliminate the “self-help kit” and allow workers
to bring complaints about workplace violations directly to the
Employment Standards Branch. Also, fund a community-based, non-profit
system, which would provide assistance, including advocacy, to workers
who believe their rights have been violated. - Substantially
increase public education of the ESA through information sessions,
translation into appropriate languages, and extensive distribution.
Restore the requirement that rights be posted at workplaces.
Workplace Rights for Immigrants in BC: The Case of Filipino Workers, by Habiba Zaman, Cecilia Diocson and Rebecca Scott, is available at www.policyalternatives.ca
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Multilingual versions of this release are available at www.policyalternatives.ca.
For media inquiries, contact: [email protected].
The study was produced as part of the Economic Security Project, a joint research initiative of the CCPA and Simon Fraser University, funded primarily by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). This study also received a grant from the Vancouver Foundation, which significantly facilitated the research process.
Attachments
Workplace Rights for Immigrants in BC: The Case of Filipino Workers
Workplace Rights for Immigrants in BC: The Case of Filipino Workers – Summary
False promises for recent immigrants – News Release (Simplified Chinese)
False promises for recent immigrants – News Release (Traditional Chinese)
False promises for recent immigrants – News Release (English)
False promises for recent immigrants – News Release (Tagalog)
False promises for recent immigrants – News Release (Punjabi)
Workplace Rights for Recent Immigrants – Translated Oped
