New reforms made to the federal Temporary Foreign Workers program have made access to such employees more difficult for businesses.But the reforms make no mention of cracking down on those who abuse the system, said the president of the Olds and District Chamber of Commerce.“I think the government missed the aspect of enforcement on this. They've put in new rules to make it more difficult … but in turn they haven't done anything to actually enforce the rules that they currently have in place,” said Doug Rieberger.Those that break the rules can be fined as much as $100,000 starting in the fall but the amount is ineffective if there is no enforcement, Rieberger continued.“The fine on it I think is enough but if they don't have people out there evaluating and policing it, it doesn't matter how much that fine is,” he said.“If they're not going to go out and investigate issues or check up on the groups that are utilizing the temporary foreign workers, or when they hear of abuse … it doesn't matter how much the fines are because they're still not policing the program.”On June 20, Minister of Employment and Social Development Jason Kenney announced several changes to the program, which had been the target of critics following incidents of alleged abuse.When applying for a temporary foreign worker, employers must now provide additional information such as the number of Canadians who applied, how many were interviewed and why they were not hired.By 2016, employers with 10 or more workers applying to the program can only have 10 per cent of their workforce comprised of temporary foreign workers.Furthermore, the program will be unavailable in low-wage sectors for regions of the country with an unemployment rate higher than six per cent.Work permits will be reduced from two years to one.The cost of applying for a worker will also increase from $275 per employee to $1,000.It is a change that will take a toll on small proprietorships, according to Rieberger.“Oh definitely. I think with the increase in that fee structure, the ones that are going to feel it the most are the smaller businesses that are utilizing it to be able to find labour,” he said.In April, the temporary foreign workers program was suspended in the food services industry. That moratorium has since been lifted.Still, the chamber president wasn't fully satisfied.“It is a welcome change on that side of it but in turn, they've also added new requirements and rules to it that are going to make it more difficult or more costly to access labour,” he [email protected]
