Jamaica’s Minister of Labor Karl Samuda has dismissed claims that Jamaicans working under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) were subjected to poor working conditions and mistreatment in Canada.
The charges, documented in a letter by Jamaican farm workers in Canada, who wished not to be identified, described their complaints about working long hours, verbal abuse and intimidation, and bad living conditions, including rats devouring their food, at two farms in the Niagara region.
According to the workers, the letter was also sent to the minister of labor on August 11.
However, Samuda stated that, contrary to the accusations, he saw the opposite during a tour of nine farms in seven locations across Ontario, Canada, earlier this month.
He shared that the conditions were excellent.
He also noticed that many of the employees had been there for more than 30 years, which signaled to him that these people were doing well because they would not want to stay in a difficult atmosphere for so long.
The minister did not find any sign of ill-treatment during his tour, adding that the relationship between almost 100 percent of the farm owners and workers was pleasant.
Samuda stated that the owners had gone above and above the regulations, noting that when he toured a farm, the owners had renovated the facilities for the workers.
He also said in another instance the farm owner had permitted the Jamaican workers to build a bar on the facility’s veranda to serve the workers foods and drinks that reminded them of home.
In terms of housing, Samuda stated that most facilities were set up to accommodate two people cohabiting, with clean, comfortable bedding.
He acknowledged that with more than fifty people working in one area, there may be occasional problems, but he claimed that during his visit, he had not met with any employee who expressed a wish to leave the program.
However, he stated that he made it clear that the partnership between farm owners and workers was not to be recognized as a “master-servant relationship”, but rather one in which everyone worked together to make the farm a success.
