Labour minister tours Canadian farms amid reports of death of Jamaican worker
Published:Wednesday | October 25, 2023 | 12:49 AM
Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr is on a fact-finding trip in Canada to meet with stakeholders of the farmwork programme as he seeks to iron out all grievances and arrive at a resolution to keep the work and travel mechanism alive.
The ministry also confirmed on Tuesday that a Jamaican farmworker, Daniel Brown, died on or about October 7 while overseas.
The Gleaner understands that Brown, 35, was in his third season on the farmwork programme.
Responding to Gleaner queries, the ministry said he was employed to P. G. Enns Farm, Niagara Region since March 3, 2023 and then transferred to P & S VanBerlo Farm in Simcoe on September 9, 2023.
According to a release from the ministry, on the morning of October 8, 2023, acting Chief Liaison Officer Althea Riley was contacted and advised that Brown had been found unresponsive in his room by one of his co-workers.
"The paramedics were immediately called, and he was pronounced dead. It was reported that he had returned home from work the previous evening, prepared a meal, and went to bed as usual," the ministry said on Tuesday.
The ministry said after receiving this information senior members of the ministry’s Family Services Unit and the Liaison Service met with Brown's next of kin to offer support and provide updates.
"Subsequently, the team has visited with Mr Brown’s next of kin on several occasions since his passing. The ministry has consistently kept the family updated on matters relating to Mr Brown's passing and has shared any new information received by the coroner and other entities in Canada as soon as it is received," the release outlined.
The ministry said it extended condolences to Brown’s family and friends and would continue to provide support in their time of bereavement as needed.
Earlier this month, a non-profit legal clinic in Ontario, Canada, had criticised the Jamaican Government over what it said was the State's lethargic response in helping injured farm- workers get compensation from its Canadian counterpart.
Charles Jr had however rebuffed the claim.
In a release yesterday, the labour ministry said Charles Jr was on day two of his trip to Canada to observe the farmwork programme.
The Gleaner understands that the minister, along with members of his delegation and members of the Canadian Management Committee and the Jamaican Liaison Service, visited three farms on Monday and met with 362 workers, including 51 women.
According to the ministry, Charles Jr visited the Komenski, Schuyler and Nightingale farms.
He has since dubbed the Schuyler Farm the "gold standard" of farms, where some 239 personnel are employed.
The ministry said workers there informed Charles Jr that they were working on the “best farm" where they have a recreation centre with several amenities including a library, gym, piano and pool table.
Their employer, according to the ministry, has plans to increase production and has given his commitment to employ more Jamaicans for the 2024 season.
Charles Jr ended his first day with a visit to the Nightingale farm where some 75 farmworkers are employed.
He reportedly commended the farmers for their hard work and dedication, citing how critical they were to the programme and that they serve as important ambassadors for Jamaica.
The minister also gave his commitment to do everything in his power to continue to advocate for their fair treatment and welfare, insistent in addressing the concerns in a "timely manner”.
The ministry said Charles Jr also conducted meetings with some 21 employers and employer representatives, who employ a combined total of approximately 930 Jamaican workers in the Simcoe and Tillsonburg areas.
In meeting with the employers, the ministry said Charles Jr had an open discussion with them in which they shared their concerns about the programme, including workers going absent without leave (AWOL) which leads to the high cost of retraining and the poor attitude and work ethics of some of the farmworkers.
One employer reportedly told the minister, and the workers present, that the Jamaican farmworkers are a vital part of their business, and further stated that they would not be in business without the Jamaican workers.
He added that they were valued members of the communities in Canada where they work.
The minister also reassured employers that their concerns would be addressed.
“This fact-finding trip has allowed me a first-hand look at the programme and, based on my observations, I will be implementing improved measures to address areas of concern to ensure that both the employers' and employees' concerns are addressed,” he said.
Charles Jr and his delegation are expected to return to Jamaica later this week.
The Government in 2022 commissioned a Helene-Davis Whyte-led Task Force to visit Canada after protests by Jamaican farmworkers who said they were being forced to work and live in sub-par conditions in the North American nation.
The fact-finding team, appointed last year to investigate the conditions of farmworkers in Canada under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme, had reported that the workers interviewed were satisfied with the working and living conditions on the farms.
However, Vincent Morrison, president of the Union of Clerical Administrative and Supervisory Employees, said then that the report did not reflect a true picture of the struggles facing some of the farmworkers.