Canada imports more workers.

[JLives]

I thought making more profit was a good thing? Why is it OK for WalMart to pay low wages but not mines? They are just using Capitalism to their advantage, these are the results.

[grammafreddy]

Yeah, yer right, Jenny. How silly of me.

Screw Canadians. Let the Chinese take over. Good plan. Learn Mandarin if ya wanna work in Canada.

[JLives]

I don't support what they are doing but I understand why they are doing it.

[grammafreddy]

I do, too ... and I think Canada needs to grow a few pairs and stand up to the Chinese.

Just the fact that they aren't makes me question why not. Why are our politicians selling the whole country and its natural resources down the tube to China? What kid of a hold do they have on Canada's short and curlies that makes the government give in to blackmail without so much as a whisper of a backbone to protect our resources and our workers?

My guess is that China is holding a whack of Canada's national debt and China came calling for payback.

[albertabound]

Our workers are too lazy or do not want the work.There is no bm, what is wrong with gm/ You gone over the deep end.

[hobbyguy]

We should not be allowing the importation of Chinese problems, which is, in fact what these imported workers represent.

I suspect that in the background, the Chinese owners want to do things the Chinese way. China's coal mines are the biggest killers in the world. They kill something like 5,000 workers per year. Maximizes the owner's profits though...

Chinese workers, not knowing any different, would easily just go along and do what they're told. No safety rules. No environmental rules. No fair wages. No big deal for them, they're used to it and a "go along or else" society. Try that with Canadian workers - they won't stand for it, and shouldn't, nor should they have to put with the attempts.

Now if the Chinese owner's wanted to send a few workers and supervisors over to learn safer, environmentally responsible (as far as a coal mine can be) methods to take home - fine. But that's not what they are trying to do.

[GrooveTunes]

Our tax dollars at work.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/12/13/bc-chinese-miners-human-rights-complaint.html

[grammafreddy]

http://www.castanet.net/news/BC/84546/C ... -complains

Chinese mining firm complains
by The Canadian Press - Story: 84546
Dec 13, 2012 / 9:01 pm

The Chinese mining firm at the centre of a controversial plan to use temporary foreign workers in a British Columbia coal mine has launched a two-pronged attack, threatening both a human rights complaint and legal action.

HD Mining distributed two separate letters to the media Thursday, one accusing the United Steelworkers Union of discrimination and the other putting the government on notice it may pursue claims for civil damages after federal ministers made public statements about the company.

The firm's Murray River project near Tumbler Ridge, B.C., 140 kilometres west of Grande Prairie, Alta., has drawn fire for bringing in temporary foreign workers instead of hiring Canadians. It's also currently facing a judicial review in which two unions are seeking to prevent the company from bringing more workers to Canada.

In a letter sent to the Canadian Human Rights Commission, one of the 17 Chinese workers already at the mine, Huizhi Li, includes screenshots of leaflets and other content on the Steelworkers' website that he claims violates his rights.

"They are likely to create contempt for Chinese persons and in particular Chinese mining workers," Huizhi said in the letter, dated Monday and written on HD Mining letterhead.

His letter goes on to say the information alleges Chinese miners will work for reduced wages and in substandard conditions, which denies Canadians opportunity to those jobs.

Steve Hunt, the union's western Canadian director, said the accusation is bizarre, because his union has only ever been fighting for workers' rights.

"I don't think it's well-founded, obviously. It's something that we expected all along," he said in an interview. "When all else fails pull the racial card out and suggest we have something untowards any worker coming in to Canada."

Among the evidence submitted in the letter is a Steelworkers' press release that contends temporary foreign workers are exploited through low wages, no benefits and little workplace protection.

Company spokeswoman Jody Shimkus said she couldn't speak to how the worker's complaint arose, but said it was "supported" by the company. She noted the accusations workers would be paid reduced wages is not true.

Workers will be paid between $25 and $40 per hour, with total yearly compensation between $84,000 and $113,000 including pay, benefits, housing and food, she said.

"These workers are not being underpaid."

She added the company is spending $50 million on Canadian goods, services and contractors, meaning it will be a "huge benefit" to the province.

The Canadian Press

So I wonder how much he got paid or if they threatened him or his family if he didn't write that letter (on company letterhead, too).

[dogspoiler]

They say that they have to bring Chinese to work in the mines. If we say we don't want them to come here WE are branded as racist. But it is OK to say that only the Chinese are able to do the mining. How about we play the racist card for a change ?

[hobbyguy]

An interesting sidebar to this discussion is that the Chinese mining company is spending money in China to train the miners to come here. That's right, they don't have the fully trained miners - they are training them in China, including having Canadian trainers come over to teach them.

I have to think that given today's unemployment rate, it wouldn't be that hard to find enough Canadian workers that would like to get this training. So that begs the question why aren't they training workers here???

Our government says we aren't doing enough to train workers. Why aren't they insisting that the workers be trained here???

Time to put a stop to this nonsense.

[grammafreddy]

An interesting sidebar to this discussion is that the Chinese mining company is spending money in China to train the miners to come here. That's right, they don't have the fully trained miners - they are training them in China, including having Canadian trainers come over to teach them.

Do you have a link?

[hobbyguy]

http://lailayuile.com/2011/10/04/if-you-build-them-mines-they-will-come-workers-from-china/

About 3/4 of the way through this article. It is of note that they were training the workers before they had final approval, and claimed they had been advertising for qualified workers.

If you are a qualified miner would you waste your time applying for a job that maybe might turn into something in a year or two???

If you are a qualified miner would you be checking Service Canada's job postings???

Very bad odors coming from this deal.

[grammafreddy]

Thanks for the link, hobbyguy. Staggering, for sure.

I agree - it stinks in BC and in Canada right now. Time to empty the trash.

So, where do the NDP stand on this Chinese ownership and Chinese imported worker issue?

[GrooveTunes]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/02/03/can-bc-mining-temporary-workers.html

[SmokeOnTheWater]

The opposition warned the Canadian public about Omnibus Bill C-38. But no one was listening.
Over 70 new or changed legislations. One of them is 15% foreign labour discount with a guaranteed 10 days fast track delivery.
Of course they will choose foreigners over Canadians. Cheaper. Thanks Harper.