Justice for Migrant Employees (J4MW), Injured Employees Motion for Justice (IWA4J), and the Migrant Farmworker Authorized Clinic (MFWLC) are collaborating to prepare a solidarity rally demanding justice for Garvin Yapp, a migrant farmworker who tragically misplaced his life in a office accident on August 14, 2022. Yapp had been employed for 34 years in Canada beneath the Commonwealth Seasonal Agricultural Employee Program (CSAWP), which brings in hundreds of seasonal employees yearly to work in agricultural operations throughout the nation.
Beneath CSAWP, migrant employees are legally certain to a single employer and lack labor mobility and social rights, compelling them to return dwelling after their contract ends. The rally precedes a scheduled pre-trial by the Province of Ontario, which has initiated felony proceedings towards Yapp’s employer. This pre-trial, set for July 25, 2024, seeks accountability for the circumstances surrounding Yapp’s loss of life, though particular fees have but to be disclosed.
This marks the second occasion this yr the place Ontario’s Ministry of Labour has pursued felony fees associated to a migrant farmworker’s loss of life. In January, an identical pre-trial was introduced following the loss of life of Van Ngoc Le at a ginseng farm in Waterford, Ontario.
The rally goals to push for enhanced authorized protections for all agricultural employees in Ontario, highlighting important exclusions from Employment Requirements Act provisions and the absence of industry-specific rules beneath the Occupational Well being and Security Act. Furthermore, agricultural employees lack the appropriate to unionize, exacerbating their vulnerability.
Migrant employees face formidable obstacles in accessing justice attributable to their precarious immigration standing. Latest authorized selections, such because the WSIAT ruling on the ‘deeming’ of migrant agricultural employees, underscore these vulnerabilities.
Chris Ramsaroop, an organizer with Justice for Migrant Employees, expressed frustration on the systemic dangers confronted by agricultural employees: “Since our inception in 2002, J4MW continues to witness governments jeopardizing the lives of agricultural employees. We demand accountability from each the provincial and federal governments. When will they take decisive motion to finish this cycle of structural violence?”
Taneeta Doma, a workers lawyer at MFWLC, condemned governmental inaction: “Migrant farmworkers endure accidents and fatalities attributable to deliberate authorities negligence. Households shouldn’t need to depend on prosecuting employers for justice.”
Sang-Hun of Injured Employees Motion for Justice emphasised the pressing want for legislative reforms: “Till Ontario legislates protections like cooling amenities and security rules, migrant employees will stay in danger.”
The organizers’ unified name calls for proactive measures together with strong authorized protections, anti-reprisal safeguards, and rigorous enforcement to make sure the protection and dignity of agricultural employees. They insist that no employee ought to endure hazardous situations or return dwelling in a physique bag attributable to preventable office risks.
For extra data, please contact Chris Ramsaroop (J4MW) 647-834-4932 or ramsaroopchris@gmail.com or Taneeta Doma 519-903-7376 or j4mw.on@gmail.com
