Is Sweat-Shop Housing on the Way?

Gordon Campbell government’s solution to addressing unsafe transportation of farm-workers may be solved by immobilizing farm workers by housing them at the farm site under slum-like conditions.

WorkSafe BC’s February 7th’s report into the deaths of 3 farm workers shows the government’s negligence regarding protection of vulnerable farm workers transported in sub-standard, unsafe vehicles. The report identifies the need re-instate the roadside inspections the Campbell government eliminated when it took power in 2001.

Farm worker employment standards were stripped away by the Liberals in 2002 and now safety standards are now being questioned since 15-passenger vans involved in the Abbotsford motor vehicle accident last year.

With the new migration of seasonal farm workers on the way the Liberals are certainly looking at revitalizing the sweatshop, company town-like setting of the Nineteenth Century. What has to come to light this Session are the desolate living standards the Liberals are now about to impose for seasonal or migrant farm workers. For the labour contractor the answer is simple: “Why risk safety and high transportation costs when we can house workers at the job site.”

Although the Provincial guidelines for migrant farm worker housing may not yet be finalized but what is being suggested for local governments such as Delta is a proposed maximum floor area of up to 1300 square feet to every 42 migrant workers. That’s a lot of bunk beds. The minimum floor area will be 6 migrant workers per a trailer of about 180 square feet. My understanding is that the guidelines will permit up to one, 2-plate hot-stove per trailer and one toilet.

My major concern could be that farm workers –most in the hothouse industry are women-- could work 6 days a week and be housed in isolated colonies with little chance of returning to families or surrounding communities. In a Ministry of Agriculture supplemental, the Ministry is dubbing the “seasonal farm worker housing” program as a “win-win-win.” With a poor record of vehicle inspections can we expect the Liberal government to act in the best interests of farm workers’ living and job conditions? Will an inspection occur more than once a year?

Regards,

Guy