Labour Group Says TFWP Putting Oilsands Workers’ at Risk

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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A recent press statement issued by the Alberta Federation of Labour has pointed out that the fast-tracked guest workers program in the province have endangered the safety of all workers in oil patch. It was highlighted that Canadian tradesmen from the Husky Sunrise project expressed concerns about “safety hazards and near misses, which they blame on the use of foreign workers who aren’t qualified and can’t speak English.” The statement highlighted that many of these workers were hired through the Alberta Pilot for Occupation-Specific Work Permits, i.e. a special fast-track stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker program.

AFL president, Gil McGowan, mentioned in a statement on Monday that “when it comes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, we’ve raised concerns about wage suppression, exploitation of foreign workers and the displacement of Canadians. But now it’s becoming clear that the program also has serious implications for workplace safety.” He explained that “what we’re seeing is that employers have been using the Alberta Occupation-Specific pilot program to hire unskilled workers to do skilled work in oil sands construction. Without the proper skills and training, these workers are putting themselves and others at risk of serious injury or even death.”

Furthermore, Mr. McGown elucidated that “when it comes to safety issues, the government shouldn’t just be waiting around for these work permits to expire.” Additionally, McGowan concluded that “if there are workers on these sites who are not trained, and who pose a risk to their co-workers, the government needs to act.”

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