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CTV News
2 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Migrant worker calls proposed spike in housing cost payroll deduction ‘wickedness'
OTTAWA — An Ontario migrant farm worker says there is 'wickedness' in a federal government proposal that could allow employers to charge workers upwards of 30 per cent of their income for housing. The Migrant Workers Alliance for Change shared with The Canadian Press a discussion paper from Employment and Social Development Canada. The document outlines possible regulations for a new temporary worker stream for agricultural and fish processing workers. The planned stream would include sector-specific work permits. That would allow temporary workers to work for any qualified employer in a specific field, instead of having their work permit tied to a specific job. This new stream isn't expected to be active until 2027 at the earliest, according to the discussion paper. The discussion paper sets out a range of possible housing deductions employers could charge for shelter. At the highest end of that range, the government is considering a deduction of 30 per cent of pre-tax income — about $1,000 per month, according to the discussion paper. A migrant worker from Jamaica — The Canadian Press has agreed not to name him, due to his fear of reprisal from his employer — said that if the highest level of deduction is implemented, his $600 after-tax weekly pay packet will be stretched even thinner. 'That is wickedness. I am working for $17.23 per hour,' he said. 'It seems like they want the program to become harder because if I am working, and they're taking so much money from me, then I won't have anything to send back home to my family or buy food here in Canada just to survive.' A statement from Employment and Social Development Canada, the agency that oversees the temporary worker program, said they held 'extensive consultation' on the agriculture and fish processing stream. This includes talks with international partners, industry stakeholders and migrant worker support organizations such as the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change. The 'paper-based consultation' included these discussion papers, which cover topics like healthcare, employer-provided transportation, wages and deductions. That consultation process is now over, and federal employment and immigration officials are currently reviewing the feedback. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation defines affordable housing as anything costing less than 30 per cent of a household's pre-tax income. The discussion paper says the lowest housing deduction being considered by the federal government is five per cent, which it estimates would cost workers about $180 monthly. The amount a migrant worker can be charged for a housing deduction depends on the kind of temporary work program they're in. Those in the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program cannot be charged by their employer for housing. Workers with low wage stream permits, such as those working for fish processors, can be charged up to 30 per cent of their earnings for employer-provided housing. Syed Hussan, executive director of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, said a 30 per cent housing deduction would be 'a massive theft' of wages 'without improvement in their lives.' 'It's incredibly hypocritical that it's being framed as improvements and a response to the United Nations calling Canada's temporary immigration system a breeding ground for exploitation and slavery,' he said. Last year, the UN released a report saying Canada's temporary worker program is a 'breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery' because it ties work permits to jobs. The report said this creates an institutionalized power imbalance because workers may be deported if they are fired and employers have 'limited incentive to ensure decent working conditions.' The Jamaican migrant worker said that he's been told he needs to keep working and stay in line because there are '10 more Jamaicans waiting for your job.' 'We don't really have a choice because if we did have a choice I'd be home with my family. The job situation in Jamaica is not really good. It's hard at the moment,' he said. Hussan also said the housing standards Ottawa cites in the discussion paper are inadequate and not enforceable. The discussion paper cites the need for 'sufficient' ventilation and 'adequate' plumbing. Hussan said this looks like a shift from the federal government's 2020 proposal for housing regulations, which said migrant worker dwellings need to be able to maintain an indoor temperature of 20 to 25 degrees. The migrant worker who spoke to The Canadian Press said that he and his roommates often need to stay outside until 10 or 11 p.m. so their bunkhouse can cool down because it doesn't have air conditioning. 'There is no A/C in the house and it is OK, it's legal for them. The bosses are not breaking any rules because at the start of the season, these houses are supposed to be inspected and passed by the relevant authorities so they are not breaking any rules,' he said. The Migrant Workers Alliance for Change said it wants to see migrant workers given permanent residency status so they're better able to stand up for their rights. The government's discussion paper talks about creating a sector-specific permit for the planned agriculture and fish processing stream. This would mean someone holding this type of permit could work for any qualifying employer instead of having their work permit tied to a specific job. Hussan said this proposal still wouldn't provide labour mobility because the pool of employers that meet the program's criteria is small, and the rural areas where many seasonal workers live and work often have poor cell or internet coverage. 'If you're working in New Brunswick, how do you find out that there's an employer in Ontario, or in B.C. or in Quebec who has an unfilled (Labour Market Impact Assessment), right?' Hussan said. 'If you wanted labour mobility, you'd say, 'You can just work wherever you want.' Which is what you and I have, the ability to change jobs.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2025. David Baxter, The Canadian Press
CNA
2 days ago
- General
- CNA
Tanjong Katong sinkhole: Seven migrant workers presented with MOM appreciation coin for rescuing driver
SINGAPORE: Seven migrant workers who helped rescue the driver of the car which fell into the Tanjong Katong sinkhole on Saturday (Jul 26) were presented with a token of appreciation for their efforts on Sunday evening. The workers - Mr Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah, Mr Velmurugan, Mr Saravanan, Mr Veerasekar, Mr Ajithkumar, Mr Chandrisekaran, and Mr Rajendran - each received an "MOM Ace coin" from Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash. CNA has asked MOM for the full names of the other six workers and for more information on the coin. In a video posted on Facebook, Mr Dinesh said that he met the workers at their dormitory after they had finished their work. Mr Dinesh noted that some of them had worked overtime when he arrived to speak to them, but added that it was especially meaningful to be able to present each of them with the coin in recognition of their efforts. "I think this is a very good example of how our migrant workers help society in general," said Mr Dinesh. "Not only do they work in the work sites and build Singapore, especially in the construction sector, but they also step forward and make themselves counted when it's important for them to do so." He also added that presenting the appreciation coin "goes a long way" in recognising the efforts of migrant workers who, despite being far from home, contribute meaningfully to Singapore and are willing to step forward when needed. "All of them have in their own ways (leaned) forward to support the lady who was in need, and that made a big difference to a situation that would have otherwise been very, very different," he said. He also wrote in the post that he is "grateful" to the contributions of the workers to not only Singapore's progress but also their "many selfless acts and for helping to make Singapore a gracious society". At about 5pm on Saturday, a stretch of road along Tanjong Katong Road South collapsed, causing a vehicle to plunge into the hole. The incident occurred next to a worksite by national water agency PUB, near the junction of Tanjong Katong Road South and Mountbatten Road. Mr Subbiah, 46, the foreman of a nearby site, said that he heard a loud sound while working at a nearby site. "I leaned in to see if there were people in the car, and I saw one person come out of the car," he told reporters on the site of the sinkhole on Sunday, adding that the woman had exited the car and was dry. Some workers had wanted to go into the sinkhole to pull the woman up, but Mr Subbiah advised against it, telling them to throw a rope down instead. Three workers then threw a nylon rope into the sinkhole to pull the woman up to safety. Mr Subbiah then lent her a phone so she could call her daughter. The woman was subsequently taken to the hospital by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). In an update on Sunday, PUB said the woman is able to walk and is undergoing further check-ups. The affected stretch of road has been closed until further notice for repairs. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said early on Sunday morning that preliminary checks by the Building and Construction Authority indicate that surrounding buildings are not affected. MP Goh Pei Ming (PAP-Marine Parade-Braddell Heights) also said in a Facebook post on Monday that the backfilling of the cavity has been completed, and the teams are currently compacting the ground further.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Singapore sinkhole rescue sparks calls for migrant worker safety reforms
The migrant workers who rescued a woman trapped in a sinkhole on a Singapore road over the weekend have drawn widespread praise, but their actions have also reignited debate over the conditions these labourers face, especially the contentious issue of transporting them in the backs of lorries. The rare incident occurred on Saturday evening along Tanjong Katong Road South, when a black Mazda was swallowed sideways into a three-metre (10-foot) deep cavity filled with murky water. Video footage circulating on social media showed workers sprinting to the scene and pulling the female driver to safety using a rope. One of the men involved, construction foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah, was seen directing efforts from the roadside. Rather than jumping in, which he said would have left them unable to climb out, Subbiah instructed others to toss a nylon rope into the hole, then helped them hoist the woman up. After the rescue, he lent her his phone to call her daughter. By Monday, authorities had filled in the hole and were compacting the ground further, according to local lawmaker Goh Pei Ming. Additional safety tests would be conducted before the road could be reopened, he said. Dipa Swaminathan, founder of migrant worker charity ItsRainingRaincoats, noted this was the second recent case of foreign workers stepping in as first responders to save lives in Singapore. In April, a group of migrant labourers helped evacuate children from the second floor of a shophouse in River Valley after a fire broke out. 'This is just the second incident in recent months, but there have been countless over the years. If they see a crisis developing in front of them, they will never ever look the other way or walk the other way, they will come in to help,' she told This Week in Asia.
CNA
2 days ago
- General
- CNA
MOM Appreciation Coin given to migrant workers who helped rescue driver who fell into sinkhole
Scroll up for the next video X MOM Appreciation Coin given to migrant workers who helped rescue driver who fell into sinkhole
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Migrant workers struggle as Dubai's population skyrockets
Beneath the gleaming facade of Dubai's iconic skyscrapers and luxurious penthouses, a stark reality unfolds for migrant workers like Hesham. His apartment building, a world away from the emirate's opulence, is marked by flickering lights, broken doors, and exposed pipes. What was once a two-bedroom unit now houses ten men, with Hesham, a 44-year-old Egyptian salesman, occupying a modified closet just large enough for a mattress, for which he pays $270 a month. However, even this cramped space is now under threat. Hesham is among numerous low-paid foreign labourers caught in a widespread government crackdown on illegal subletting across Dubai. This includes rooms crammed with bunk beds offering minimal privacy for a few dollars a night, and partitioned apartments like Hesham's, where makeshift divisions of plywood, drywall, and plastic shower curtains transform flats into dormitories for up to 20 people. After a blaze at a high-rise in June, Dubai officials launched the campaign over concerns that partitioned apartments represent a major fire risk. Some of those evicted have been left scrambling to stay off the streets, where begging is illegal. Others fear they could be next, uncertain when or where inspectors might show up. 'Now we don't know what we'll do,' said Hesham, who's staying put until his landlord evicts him. Like others living in Dubai's cheapest and most crowded spaces, he spoke to The Associated Press on condition only his first name be used for fear of coming into the crosshairs of authorities enforcing the ban on illegal housing. 'We don't have any other choice," he said. Dubai Municipality, which oversees the city-state, declined an AP request for an interview. In a statement, it said authorities have conducted inspections across the emirate to curb fire and safety hazards — an effort it said would 'ensure the highest standards of public safety' and lead to 'enhanced quality of life' for tenants. It didn't address where those unable to afford legal housing would live in a city-state that's synonymous with luxury yet outlaws labor unions and guarantees no minimum wage. Dubai has seen a boom since the pandemic that shows no signs of stopping. Its population of 3.9 million is projected to grow to 5.8 million by 2040 as more people move into the commercial hub from abroad. Much of Dubai's real estate market caters to wealthy foreign professionals living there long-term. That leaves few affordable options for the majority of workers — migrants on temporary, low-wage contracts, often earning just several hundred dollars a month. Nearly a fifth of homes in Dubai were worth more than $1 million as of last year, property firm Knight Frank said. Developers are racing to build more high-end housing. That continued growth has meant rising rents across the board. Short-term rentals are expected to cost 18% more by the end of this year compared to 2024, according to online rental company Colife. Most migrant workers the AP spoke to said they make just $300 to $550 a month. In lower-income areas, they said, a partitioned apartment space generally rents for $220 to $270 a month, while a single bunk in an undivided room costs half as much. Both can cost less if shared, or more depending on size and location. At any rate, they are far cheaper than the average one-bedroom rental, which real estate firm Engel & Völkers said runs about $1,400 a month. The United Arab Emirates, like other Gulf Arab nations, relies on low-paid workers from Africa and Asia to build, clean, babysit and drive taxi cabs. Only Emirati nationals, who are outnumbered nearly 9 to 1 by residents from foreign countries, are eligible for an array of government benefits, including financial assistance for housing. Large employers, from construction firms and factories to hotels and resorts, are required by law to house workers if they are paid less than $400 a month, much of which they send home to families overseas. However, many migrants are employed informally, making their living arrangements hard to regulate, said Steffen Hertog, an expert on Gulf labor markets at the London School of Economics and Political Science. The crackdown will push up their housing costs, creating 'a lot of stress for people whose life situation is already precarious,' he said. Hassan, a 24-year-old security guard from Uganda, shares a bed in a partitioned apartment with a friend. So far, the government hasn't discovered it, but he has reason to be nervous, he said. 'They can tell you to leave without an option, without anywhere to go.' Dubai has targeted overcrowded apartments in the past amid a spate of high-rise fires fueled by flammable siding material. The latest round of inspections came after a blaze in June at a 67-story tower in the Dubai Marina neighborhood, where some apartments had been partitioned. More than 3,800 residents were forced to evacuate from the building, which had 532 occupied apartments, according to a police report. That means seven people on average lived in each of these units in the tower of one-, two- and three-bedroom flats. Dozens of homes were left uninhabitable. There were no major injuries in that fire. However, another in 2023 in Dubai's historic Deira neighborhood killed at least 16 people and injured another nine in a unit believed to have been partitioned. Ebony, a 28-year-old odd-job worker from Ghana, was recently forced to leave a partitioned apartment after the authorities found out about it. She lived in a narrow space with a roommate who slept above her on a jerry-built plywood loft bed. 'Sometimes to even stand up,' she said, 'your head is going to hit the plywood.' She's in a new apartment now, a single room that holds 14 others — and sometimes more than 20 as people come and go, sharing beds. With her income of about $400 a month, she said she didn't have another option, and she's afraid of being forced out again. 'I don't know what they want us to do. Maybe they don't want the majority of people that are here in Dubai,' Ebony said.
