Legislation better protects temporary foreign workers from exploitation

People coming to work in B.C. under the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program will have better protection against exploitation and abuse as a result of new legislation that has been introduced.“Workers coming to B.C. want to feel safe, confident their rights are protected, and that abusive employers will be held accountable,” said Harry Bains, Minister of Labour. “The exploitation of anyone working in our province runs against the values of British Columbians. We need to shut any door that allows recruiters or employers to wilfully ignore and abuse the rights of workers in this province.” If passed by the legislature, the legislation will improve protection for workers and accountability of recruiters and employers by: requiring foreign worker recruiters to be licensed, and employers who recruit and hire temporary foreign workers to be registered.