EI Reform: Changes will drive down wages for everyone
OTTAWA—Far-reaching changes to Employment Insurance (EI) and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in the federal government’s budget plan will drive down wages for Canadian workers, analysts say.
Full details of the new regime are only dribbling out, but the changes have already raised alarms among opposition Members of Parliament and some economists.
Adding their voice to the chorus of criticism are the labour movement and immigrants rights advocates, who are holding a news conference on Parliament Hill Tuesday to argue the Harper government’s new rules governing foreign workers are misguided.
Also, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty confirmed Monday that the government intends to clamp down on EI recipients who turn down jobs they consider unsuitable for their skills or too low-paying.
Flaherty said the government will expand the threshold for what is considered a suitable job for EI recipients. That means that those who pass up such employment could lose their EI benefits.
“There’ll be a broader definition and people will have to engage more in the workforce,” Flaherty told reporters.
He also indicated that he has little sympathy for EI recipients who are too picky about the jobs they will accept.
“There is no bad job, the only bad job is not having a job,” he said.
The expected changes to EI rules reflect complaints by Conservative cabinet ministers in recent months that Canadians are passing up jobs such as Christmas tree harvesting and leaving employers to bring in foreign workers to do the jobs. But opposition MPs say it’s a waste of peoples’ skills to force them to take positions for which they are over-qualified.
The focus Tuesday will be on the Harper government’s move to allow employers to pay highly-skilled temporary foreign workers up to 15 per cent less than the prevailing local wage.
Human Resources Minister Diane Finley says the lower wages can only be paid to temporary foreign workers if the Canadian business’ other employees accept the same pay. But critics say the government is creating an unwieldy, confusing and unfair system for determining the wages of the increasing army of temporary workers from abroad now coming to Canada.
Critics say the government has not explained the policy change and argue that it will have a negative impact for labour in general.
“It is not yet clear why the government is doing this,” said Hassan Yussuff, secretary-treasurer of the Canadian Labour Congress.
He said paying foreign workers less than the local prevailing wage will push down wages for everyone and could lead to tension among groups of workers.
“Nowhere in our public policy as a national government have we ever advocated that we would bring people from abroad and pay them less,” Yussuff said in an interview.
“We think it’s highly discriminatory based on national origin, which is against the constitution,” he added.
Canada News: EI Reform: Changes will drive down wages for everyone - thestar.com
OTTAWA—Far-reaching changes to Employment Insurance (EI) and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in the federal government’s budget plan will drive down wages for Canadian workers, analysts say.
Full details of the new regime are only dribbling out, but the changes have already raised alarms among opposition Members of Parliament and some economists.
Adding their voice to the chorus of criticism are the labour movement and immigrants rights advocates, who are holding a news conference on Parliament Hill Tuesday to argue the Harper government’s new rules governing foreign workers are misguided.
Also, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty confirmed Monday that the government intends to clamp down on EI recipients who turn down jobs they consider unsuitable for their skills or too low-paying.
Flaherty said the government will expand the threshold for what is considered a suitable job for EI recipients. That means that those who pass up such employment could lose their EI benefits.
“There’ll be a broader definition and people will have to engage more in the workforce,” Flaherty told reporters.
He also indicated that he has little sympathy for EI recipients who are too picky about the jobs they will accept.
“There is no bad job, the only bad job is not having a job,” he said.
The expected changes to EI rules reflect complaints by Conservative cabinet ministers in recent months that Canadians are passing up jobs such as Christmas tree harvesting and leaving employers to bring in foreign workers to do the jobs. But opposition MPs say it’s a waste of peoples’ skills to force them to take positions for which they are over-qualified.
The focus Tuesday will be on the Harper government’s move to allow employers to pay highly-skilled temporary foreign workers up to 15 per cent less than the prevailing local wage.
Human Resources Minister Diane Finley says the lower wages can only be paid to temporary foreign workers if the Canadian business’ other employees accept the same pay. But critics say the government is creating an unwieldy, confusing and unfair system for determining the wages of the increasing army of temporary workers from abroad now coming to Canada.
Critics say the government has not explained the policy change and argue that it will have a negative impact for labour in general.
“It is not yet clear why the government is doing this,” said Hassan Yussuff, secretary-treasurer of the Canadian Labour Congress.
He said paying foreign workers less than the local prevailing wage will push down wages for everyone and could lead to tension among groups of workers.
“Nowhere in our public policy as a national government have we ever advocated that we would bring people from abroad and pay them less,” Yussuff said in an interview.
“We think it’s highly discriminatory based on national origin, which is against the constitution,” he added.
Canada News: EI Reform: Changes will drive down wages for everyone - thestar.com