Restaurants Canada supports a revisit of TFWP reforms

Sept. 30, 2014, Toronto – Restaurants Canada
supports graduated penalties for businesses that intentionally break the
Temporary Foreign Worker Program rules, provided they match the
severity of the violation, said the association in a news release.

Sept. 30, 2014, Toronto – Restaurants Canada
supports graduated penalties for businesses that intentionally break the
Temporary Foreign Worker Program rules, provided they match the
severity of the violation, said the association in a news release.

“We have concerns about proposed sanctions for unintentional mistakes
that have been corrected and voluntarily reported by businesses, but we
support the overall move toward stronger enforcement,” said Joyce
Reynolds, Restaurants Canada’s executive vice president of government affairs. “Since 2008, we have pushed government for better monitoring
and enforcement of rules to protect the long-term integrity of the TFWP,
and make sure the actions of a few don’t tarnish the entire restaurant
industry. We hope the government will revisit the drastic program
changes introduced in June, once these new compliance procedures are in
place.”

Restaurants Canada is also calling for prompt, fair and comprehensive
reviews when businesses are accused of abusing the program.

“When allegations are proven untrue, they should receive the same public
recognition as the allegation itself,” said Reynolds. “It is not
acceptable to vilify a business and then ignore it when it is found
innocent.” 

The TFWP changes introduced in June severely limit access to the
program, and are already hurting business owners and their Canadian and
foreign workers, particularly in western Canada where the labour
shortage is significant, said the association. Productive foreign workers who want to remain
in Canada are sent home and businesses are becoming unsustainable as
their remaining staff burn out.