TIAC calls for action on labour shortage

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), in conjunction with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, Restaurants Canada and the Retail Council of Canada have petitioned Ministers Jason Kenney and Chris Alexander, regarding labour shortages in certain industries (including hospitality) and remote regions of the country.

In the open letter, the organizations state that while the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) ‘has been crucially important for businesses' as the pool of available Canadian workers shrinks, recent changes - particularly with regard to entry-level workers – to the program have further reduced the number of available employees in their respective industries.

In addition to better enforcement and regulation of the TFWP with regards to employers found abusing the program, the letter recommends eliminating ‘discriminatory policies’ against employers in what the letter describes as lower-skilled employment categories, as well as increasing the minimum work permit to two years, and creating more opportunities for all temporary workers to establish themselves in Canada permanently.

Other recommendations in the letter include the undertaking of studies to national labour markets and the willingness of Canadian workers to consider work in various economic sectors and regions of the country.