Jamaican migrant workers in Ontario pen open letter likening conditions to ‘systematic slavery’

Jamaican migrant farm employees in Niagara Area wrote an open letter to Jamaica’s Ministry of Labour requesting extra assist within the face of what they name “systematic slavery,” days earlier than a migrant employee died in Norfolk County.

Garvin Yapp, 57, of St. James, Jamaica, was killed on Sunday in an accident with a tobacco harvester at Berlo’s Greatest Farm in Norfolk County, two hours southwest of Toronto.

The province has confirmed his loss of life. The Van Berlo household, who runs Berlo’s Greatest, mentioned they had been devastated by Yapp’s loss of life, including “they didn’t lose an worker, however they misplaced an individual they thought-about a member of their household,” the household’s lawyer Bernard Cummins advised CBC Toronto.

In a press release on Tuesday, the Jamaican Ministry of Labour expressed “deep disappointment” and mentioned Jamaican Labour Minister Karl Samuda will probably be visiting and touring farms in Canada using Jamaican employees underneath the Seasonal Agricultural Employee Program (SAWP) this week.

The Canadian authorities, in the meantime, mentioned in a press release it “expresses its deepest condolences” to Yapp’s household, associates and associates, and added that the investigation into the loss of life is a provincial matter.

In its personal assertion, the Ontario Ministry of Labour, whom it falls on to analyze the matter, mentioned the investigation is ongoing.

Two different Jamaican employees and a Mexican employee have died this week as effectively, in line with Migrant Employees Alliance for Change (MWAC).

‘Looks like we’re in jail’

“Because it at the moment stands, the Seasonal Agricultural Employees Program (SAWP) is systematic slavery,” the employees wrote of their open letter.

The letter was despatched to the Jamaican Observer, the place excerpts of it had been revealed on Monday. The employees mentioned they despatched the letter to Samuda on Aug. 11.

“Jamaicans have been coming for generations, our fellow Caribbean and Mexican coworkers have too, and there have been no vital adjustments for the reason that program began,” the employees mentioned.

Employees wrote they had been petrified of sharing their grievances with Samuda straight for concern of being kicked out of the SAWP. Additionally they mentioned that employees from Mexico and the Philippines share the identical grievances.

Employees described housing situations as so poor that rats eat their meals. They reside in crowded rooms with zero privateness with cameras, and lack dryers to dry their garments after it rains, they wrote.

“It looks like we’re in jail,” the letter reads.

On working situations, employees wrote they’re “handled like mules” and punished for not being fast sufficient. They mentioned they’re uncovered to harmful pesticides with out ample safety, and their bosses are verbally abusive.

“They bodily intimidate us, destroy our private property, and threaten to ship us house,” the letter reads.

“That is very a lot the fact of the migrant farm employee program on this nation,” MWAC’s government director Syed Hussan mentioned. “Working in farms in Canada is a human rights catastrophe.”

Santiago Escobar, the nationwide consultant for the United Meals and Business Employees Union, says this can be a countrywide downside. The union has requested the federal authorities to make union illustration a situation of the short-term overseas employee permits, because of this.

“With a union, these employees might train their labour and human rights,” Escobar mentioned.

It additionally asks the provincial authorities to incorporate agricultural employees of their labour legal guidelines and provide employees a versatile path to everlasting residency.

“We have to give them illustration, higher work permits, and a path to residency,” Escobar mentioned. “With these the employees will be capable to overcome all of the abuses they’re experiencing.”

Hussan agrees.

“So long as we have now a brief immigration system, farm employees will probably be exploited,” he mentioned. “Farm employees themselves are calling on a system for full and everlasting immigration standing for all.”

He says employees concern asserting their rights will result in homelessness, lack of employment, and deportation. Because it stands now, employees’ permits are tied to their employer, Hussan mentioned.

Hussan says labour legal guidelines would assist, however farm employees can be unable to say their rights underneath these legal guidelines with out full and everlasting immigration standing.

“That is an ongoing disaster that is a direct results of federal immigration coverage,” he mentioned.