Labour brokers may be charging Chinese miners up to $16,000 for the chance
to work in Canadian mines as temporary foreign workers, a CBC investigation has
found.
The National visited a prominent recruitment agency in Beijing carrying hidden cameras. Investigators posing as miners learned that workers
with minimal mining experience are being offered positions in Canadian gold,
copper and potash mines.
Recruiters said that, once working in Canada, miners would be paid no less
than $10 per hour. Permanent workers in Canada’s underground and surface mines
are paid on average $25 to $30 per hour.
Investigators also learned that workers are asked to pay a deposit of
several thousand dollars to secure a spot in a Canadian mine. The agency said
that the remainder of the $16,000 fee is taken directly from the miner’s
paycheque until paid in full.
The recruiters claim that the deduction occurs with the knowledge of the
employer, although the agency provided no proof that it was acting on behalf of
a specific company or business.
In Canada, it is illegal for employers to charge recruitment fees to
temporary foreign workers.
Source: CBC
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