WorkSafeNB launches workplace safety campaign for foreign workers

WorkSafeNB has launched a new campaign to raise workplace safety awareness among foreign workers in New Brunswick.

The organization has created a webpage and launched a social media awareness campaign with resources designed to communicate key insights about occupational health and safety, and emphasizing the rights and responsibilities shared by all members of our province.

This includes informational pamphlets that are available in English, Arabic, French, Korean, Mandarin, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.

“We acknowledge that these workers may face challenges in the workplace, making it essential to equip them with the knowledge and tools for a safe working environment,” said Tim Petersen, CEO, WorkSafeNB, about the campaign.

Recently, a group promoting the cause of migrant workers in Canada called on the Ontario government to better protect migrant farm workers from the risk of heat stress by passing legislation for that specific purpose.

WorkSafeNB is also actively engaging with employers, industry associations, settlement agencies, and multicultural organizations to promote the safety of foreign workers.

“We understand the challenges posed by language barriers, diverse health and safety expectations, and hesitancy to voice concerns at work,” said Petersen.

“We aim for every individual, regardless of their background, to feel confident in their understanding of workplace safety and their ability to take proactive steps to protect themselves and their colleagues. By offering resources in multiple languages, we're committed to removing these barriers and empowering individuals to actively participate in fostering safe and healthy workplaces.”

Previously, the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology noted that the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program “is not working well for employers or workers”, and gave a number of recommendations for the federal government. One recommendation is for the government to establish and implement a plan to phase out employer-specific work permits within three years.

However, the Senate report failed to seize on the temporary status of the workers themselves, which is the root cause of their vulnerabilities, said Vesanthi Venkatesh, an associate professor of law at the University of Windsor.

WorkSafeNB’s campaign ‘not nearly enough’

One group has lauded WorkSafeNB for its launch of the workplace safety campaign for foreign workers.

"This is absolutely a positive step forward … we're really happy about this," said Aditya Rao, of the Madhu Verma Migrant Justice Centre in Fredericton, in a CBC report.

"This is really important information that needs to be available in multiple languages. It's certainly going to make a difference for workers to know that these rights exist,"

Rao said that his group would make use of the new resources and make sure people have access to them.

However, the new resources are "not nearly enough of what needs to be done,” he said. Currently, rules aren't being enforced and employers aren't reporting violations when they happen, Rao said, according to the report.

Workers are protected "on paper," but they can’t complain about safety issues because they face the threat of deportation, he said.

"Many of the folks that we're working with are just keeping their head down and working anyway," he told the CBC.

The reason behind the continuing safety issues for foreign workers is the closed-door work permit system, said Rao. To address all the issues, this system needs to be abolished, he said.

"This temporary foreign worker program is exploitative by design," said Rao.