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» Go to news mainMedia opportunity: Report evaluates Canada's implementation of work guidelines set by the International Labour Organization for migrant workers in the agri‑food sector and what remains to be done
A new report is providing a comprehensive evaluation of Canada's implementation of the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Decent Work Guidelines in the agri-food sector, with researchers from Dalhousie University, St. Thomas University and McMaster University recommending several ways to better protect migrant workers' rights.
The ILO's guidelines set out key standards on labour rights, employment conditions and social protections across four major themes: rights at work, decent jobs and productive employment, social and labour protection, and tripartite social dialogue.
The study, being released today (Nov. 7) at a labour forum in Leamington, Ont., was based on reviews of more than 200 scholarly reports from 2020 to 2024 and examined how the guidelines are being applied in Alberta, New Brunswick and Ontario, in the meat packing, agriculture and seafood processing sectors. It explores the working conditions for temporary foreign workers (TFWs).
The main findings include:
* Federal and provincial supports, such as Covid-19 relief and labour subsidies, have strengthened agri-food enterprises.
* Persistent challenges: Favouritism toward large agribusinesses, farmland consolidation and weak global labour governance frameworks.
* Unsafe and unhealthy environments: Migrant workers often face inadequate labour protection, dangerous conditions, substandard housing, limited health-care access and fraudulent recruitment practices.
* Minimal social dialogue: There is a lack of meaningful engagement among government, employers and labour representatives to promote decent work.
The authors include nine recommendations aimed at improving workers' rights, such as eliminating employer-specific work permits, expanding pathways to permanent residency, ensuring collective bargaining rights and enhancing employer accountability.
Lead author Dr. Raluca Bejan, an associate professor in Dalhousie's School of Social Work, is available to discuss the report and the progress Canada has made in fostering a supportive environment for agri-food enterprises, and what remains to be done to improve workers' security.
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Media contact:
Alison Auld
Senior Research Reporter
Dalhousie University
Cell: 1-902-220-0491
Email: alison.auld@dal.ca
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