"Sgt. Jeff MacFarlane is with the RCMP's human trafficking unit in Nova Scotia. He said trafficking is more than just taking advantage of a workerit also involves using threats and coercion to get the worker to do things against their will, even forcing them to commit criminal acts. What people should know is that labour trafficking doesn't mean that you're being underpaid or even that your working conditions aren't as good as they should be, MacFarlane said."
"His unit recently charged an Ontario man with trafficking a foreign national in the Digby County community of Church Point. The worker was allegedly only paid $300 for a year's work. It's not something that carries a large representation of all of our human trafficking cases; it is a smaller percentage, MacFarlane said. But we know that it is certainly underrepresented and underreported. So what that means is people don't know what to do exactly if they are being exploited in this way."
"He said one telltale sign is whether the worker has all their important documents, like their passport. He said traffickers frequently hold on to those papers to maintain control over the victim. MacFarlane said trafficking in the labour sector disproportionately affects the vulnerable. New Canadians, for examplepeople that are here on different sorts of visas, temporary passes to be in Canada," he said."
Labour trafficking in Nova Scotia is increasing, with sexual exploitation remaining the largest category while worker exploitation grows. Trafficking involves threats, coercion, forcing victims to commit criminal acts, and withholding important documents to maintain control. Cases can include extreme underpayment, with an alleged instance of a foreign national receiving only $300 for a year's work. Labour trafficking disproportionately affects vulnerable individuals such as new Canadians and those on temporary visas who may lack knowledge of Canadian labour laws. Many labour-trafficking cases are underreported and underrepresented. Non-governmental organizations, including settlement services, can assist victims.
Read at www.cbc.ca
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]