Given the vast amount of negative publicity the Temporary Foreign Worker Program has received in recent times, it is easy to forget that the Program enjoys any popularity – or success – at all. Prabu Sweets, an East Indian sweets distribution company based in Surrey, British Columbia, shows how the Program has played a vital role in making the enterprise a sweet success.
Prabu Sweets began operations as a local retail outlet in 2001 with only two employees. In the intervening 13 years, the company has successfully generated such a high demand for its food products that it is currently in the process of expanding the business globally.
The company requires skilled workers and hence, the managers travelled to India and Dubai in March, for interviewing skilled head chefs, who have a complete mastery over their area of expertise. The managers ended up selecting two individuals, who would work as heads of production at their East Indian food manufacturing facility.
Things seemed hunky-dory until the implementation of the recent ban on restaurants from hiring temporary foreign workers upset the applecart. The ban has not only ended up wasting a considerable amount of time, effort and money, it has also jeopardised the future and livelihood of the company and its employees – 20 of whom are Canadian citizens.
Many people assume that temporary foreign workers are low-skilled employees, who work for minimum wages. At Prabu Sweets however, these temporary foreign workers are the force behind the company’s success. Their skills, knowledge and expertise in the East Indian food industry makes them perfect for the job – something that no one can replace easily. This is why the company treats them as vital assets and helps them establish themselves as integral parts of the Canadian society.
Significantly, no Canadian can possess these skills unless they have acquired them from the areas in which the company’s sweets and snacks originate. The managers at Prabu Sweets believe that these foreign workers actually create employment opportunities for several Canadian employees. In fact, they claim that in the near future, over 100 employees would be working under the supervision of these so-called “low-skilled disposable workers”.
Therefore, while numerous companies might be abusing the program, enforcing a ban is extremely unjust on companies like Prabu Sweets that work diligently and ethically. This ban places a question mark not only on businesses that follow the law, but also Canadian employees, skilled temporary workers and their families too.
Source: The Huffington Post, British Columbia