108 Farmworkers Leave For Canada

A total of 108 seasonal agricultural workers left the island today (February 24) for Canada, to take up employment in Ontario and its environs.

The customary send-off ceremony was held for the workers at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s Overseas Employment Services Centre, downtown Kingston.

In his remarks, Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Karl Samuda, said it is the intention of the Government to move aggressively to get a larger share of the employment market in Canada.

“When I look at the numbers who are going abroad, I see hardly anyone at all [going to] the Prairie Provinces… Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, that is the wheat belt, where there are major agricultural operations. But there is nobody from Jamaica going to those farms and I ask the question why,” Mr. Samuda said.

He noted that Liaison Officers should concentrate on gaining access to that market.

“I know there is competition from other countries, but that competition cannot outdo the skills and commitment and hard-working nature of the Jamaican worker if we really strive to achieve market share for that region of Canada,” Mr. Samuda said.

“Instead of having 9,000 workers annually, I am looking to increase that to a minimum of 100 per cent over the next three years, because I know that the market is there. It’s a question of how diligently we pursue, through our Liaison Officers, the involvement of those provinces,” he added.

The Minister further noted that the Overseas Employment Programme is a partnership that must be cherished and treated with the greatest degree of importance.

“It elevates the standard of living of the Jamaican family at home, and so I really cannot impress upon you any more, the importance of the mission you are embarking on. I want you to enjoy yourselves, become a part of the community from which you work and gain the support and confidence of those whom you work for,” Mr. Samuda told the workers.

For her part, Canadian High Commissioner to Jamaica, Her Excellency Emina Tudakovic, encouraged the Jamaicans to know their rights, adding that “you have a right to be paid for the work you do, and you must be paid”.

The Ministry also commissioned into service and added two mobile units to its fleet of buses to enhance its operations in the delivery of the Overseas Employment Programme.