Probe ordered into living conditions of protesting farm workers in Ontario

Minister of Labour Pearnel Charles Jr has ordered an immediate investigation into the living and working situation of a group of Jamaican farm workers in Ontario, Canada, following complaints of sub-par conditions.

A media release from the ministry says the latest reports suggest that farm workers made the decision to withdraw their services on Thursday in protest of their living conditions.

The ministry says it is closely monitoring the situation.

It says liaison officers were directed to visit the location to provide a full report on the conditions of the workers.

"The Minister of Labour and Social Security and his team are committed to ensuring that Jamaican farm workers are provided with the best working and living conditions. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security remains unrelenting in its efforts to safeguard the safety and health of our farm workers, and will continue to work with our partners, to ensure that the treatment of farm workers overseas is in keeping with the expected global standards," the media release states.

Last year, farm workers on the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme in Canada reported that they were being made to work under inhumane conditions.

A report, released in April from a team which investigated the complaints, found that, in general, the majority of workers expressed  satisfaction with the programme and contrary to some of the claims, there were no systemic slavery-like working conditions.

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