Companies in the Quebec regions are losing their expatriate workers to Montreal companies that would take advantage of breaking the law to give workers a better life.
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In an interview with TVA Nouvelles on Friday, Régis Michaud, President of RM Recruitment International, estimated that it was a directive from the Ministry of Immigration that was responsible for this problem.
Of the 30 workers from the Philippines recruited by Groupe Nordique, a construction and civil engineering company, eight volunteered to join Montreal companies, said the one who helped the Sept-Îles company in its efforts to meet its labor needs cover.
“The Nordic Group in Sept-Îles rents, furnishes and prepares houses. It’s more than just hiring workers, it’s taking care of them,” he sighed.
This case illustrates the problem faced by employers who have invested time and money to meet their staffing needs and who thought they could rely on these workers for a number of years.
So, according to Régis Michaud, recruitment firms would encourage workers to approach Montreal companies by promising them a better life.
Even if their work permits bind them to the employer that hired them, foreign workers would quit, taking advantage of a loophole created by an Immigration Department policy introduced during COVID-19.
In fact, the obligation to carry out a labor market impact assessment (LMIA) lasting several months is no longer required for a foreign worker to leave his job for another.
“The workers are addressed. They tell them: “Keep your job, we will send the LMIA and when we get the acknowledgment of receipt, you can come and start working 2 weeks later”. You are resigning without valid and reasonable cause,” he continued.
The President is therefore calling for the repeal of this Department of Immigration policy, but recognizes that steps must also be taken to protect foreign workers from potential abuses by employers.
“There are so many horror stories among workers. We still have to remember that the dignity of these workers needs to be protected. We must also remember to protect these entrepreneurs. It’s not just investing money,” he said.
According to Régis Michaud, the phenomenon is only accelerating and would also contribute to a brain drain from Quebec to Ontario, particularly in the restaurant sector.