Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) – an important component of the temporary foreign worker program – are being abused by some individuals within the trucking industry, according to national and provincial trucking association executives.
International workers are willing to pay $60,000 each for the opportunity to live and work in Canada, with dishonest employers taking advantage of this willingness to fill their own pockets.
These individuals are relying on the truck driver shortage to hire mathematicians, statisticians, and other administrative workers – roles that Canadians can fill.
Some employers who hired many workers through the LMIA also denied that they were hiring when asked about it.
Obtaining an LMIA from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is often the first step in hiring a foreign worker.
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This verifies that there is a genuine need for a foreign worker to fill the position being advertised by the employer.
Once the LMIA is approved, the prospective truck driver has their way clear to apply for a work permit. They must meet the eligibility criteria and provide supporting documents, including a job offer letter, contract, and LMIA confirmation.
Employers are required to comply with Canadian employment standards and regulations, which includes adhering to minimum wage laws, hours of service regulations, workplace safety protocols, and providing employment benefits.
There are many reported cases of worker abuse at the hands of trucking employers in Canada, such as forced labour and threats of deportation and job loss.
Moreover, many truck drivers choose the profession due to the ease of immigration it offers rather than any substantive interest in or passion for truck driving itself.
This leads to weak commitment to the job and lack of motivation to perform well.
Research into more than 25 years of census data conducted by Newcom Media’s editorial teams found that South Asian immigrants have propelled a huge demographic shift in Canada trucking’s makeup.
Only 1.8 per cent of Canada’s truck drivers were from South Asia 20 years ago – a proportion that has grown to 17.8 per cent as of 2016.
One in three drivers in BC are from South Asia, and one in four in Ontario, as reported by the Canadian Trucking Alliance.
As per a 2016 Conference Board of Canada report, the country will experience a shortage of 25,000 to 33,000 for-hire truck drivers by 2020, largely due to the increasing rates of retirement within the sector.
Earlier in 2023, Ottawa committed to investing up to $46.3 million in Trucking Human Resources Canada under the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program.
That organization’s Driving Economic Recovery project was set to provide training and wage subsidies to support the recruitment, training and onboarding of up to 1,400 new truck drivers and 1,200 workers for other in-demand occupations within the trucking sector.
However, with these measures in place, more focus needs to be administered to ensuring that foreign workers in the trucking sector are not exploited and are protected against workplace abuses.
For that, employers need to meet stronger workplace standards that are governed through additional channels of compliance regulation.
