JAMAICAN farm workers in Canada have been pulled from four farms since the start of this year because of what have been deemed unacceptable conditions.

According to chief liaison officer at the Jamaica Liaison Service (JLS) in Canada Kenneth Phillips, it was decided to cut ties with the four farms because of poor living conditions, verbal abuse, inadequate working hours and overall poor treatment of the workers.

He said that all the workers were removed and placed on new farms within days following visits by liaison officers and discussions by his team.

Phillips said that pre-COVID, the JLS approved living arrangements for the workers, but due to the pandemic, liaison officers were unable to visit the farms as visits were prohibited because of the virus.

According to Phillips, once the liaison officers resumed visits to the farms, they realised that all was not as it should be.

“This year, when we resumed visitation, the officer went and found that the workers were not in the approved accommodations, and the new bunk houses did not meet our standard. Within three days we removed the workers and found them new employment,” Phillips told the Jamaica Observer on Friday.

He said there have been cases where the JSL has pointed out poor conditions to the operators of some farms and the problems were corrected in short order.

“In the instances where these are not corrected, then we have to act to protect the Jamaican workers because that is our mandate,” added Phillips.

Andrew Taylor was among the farm workers relocated and he had high praise for his liaison officer Althea Riley.

“The facility was great last year, but this year they moved us from our house on May 28 and put us in two containers. It was okay to us, as we were working and didn’t know it would be an issue,” said Taylor.

He added that once Riley visited the farm, she found their living facilities unacceptable as they had to use outhouses and the containers had no ventilation systems.

“She called the boss and told her our living conditions were unacceptable and told them that she was going to move us, and she did.

“Mrs Riley moved us to Underhill Brothers, and we’re much more comfortable. We have inside bathrooms, washing machine, and our space, but it is much better than before.

“I can tell you that Mrs Riley is a wonderful lady; she stood up for us to the boss. We didn’t see the problem, but she did. We didn’t ask her to come, but she came to give us our tax return and cheque, saw the situation and told the boss that she refuses to have us live in these conditions,” said Taylor.

The farm work programme in Canada has been in the forefront of national debate in recent weeks with allegations from some Jamaican farm workers that they are placed in deplorable and inhumane conditions on farms without an avenue to air their grouses and receive help.

According to an Al Jazeera report on August 22, the farm workers, who are affiliated with the human rights group Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, describe their experience as ‘systematic slavery’ and being ‘treated like mules’.

Minister of Labour and Social Security Karl Samuda initially claimed that during a recent visit to Canada he saw nothing to support the claims of the disgruntled farm workers.

After coming under fire Samuda appointed a special fact-finding team to investigate the working conditions of Jamaican workers.

The members of the team have not yet been announced and no details released as to when the team will travel to Canada.

But Phillips is adamant that the liaison service, based in Toronto, oversees the welfare of all workers under the programme.

Phillips said the JLS, which was established in 1966 under an agreement with the Federal Government of Canada and Jamaica, is responsible for administering the Seasonal Agricultural Programme on behalf of the Jamaican Government.

“The Jamaica Liaison Service works to ensure that all their documents are in order in Jamaica, meet them at the airports in Canada and help them with immigration, and take them to their places of employment. The JLS, through its three field offices, conducts random spot checks on the farms and investigates any reports they may receive,” said Phillips.