Ontario to tighten rules for temp agencies, firms that recruit foreign workers
CBC
The Ontario government is set to bring in the province's strictest-ever rules for companies that recruit temporary workers, including a system for shutting down temp agencies that exploit staff, CBC News has learned.
Senior officials with the Ministry of Labour say the plans include mandatory licensing for temporary help agencies, giving the province the power to stop firms from operating if they violate employment standards.
The government will also create a dedicated team of inspectors to root out illegal treatment of workers and recover unpaid wages.
The announcement, to be made Monday morning, will be the first in a series of employment-related measures from the Ford government. Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton describes the moves as "rebalancing the scales" between vulnerable workers and big business.
"We're going to shine the light on these bad actors in the industry, these temporary help agencies and recruiters that aren't playing by the rules," McNaughton told CBC News in an interview ahead of his announcement.
The changes will be part of upcoming legislation that will make Ontario's protection of temp workers the strongest in Canada, he said.
McNaughton said he particularly wants to stop firms that exploit temporary foreign workers by withholding their passports or paying them less than minimum wage.
Intelligence regarding foreign interference sometimes didn't make it to the prime minister's desk in 2021 because Canada's spy agency and the prime minister's national security adviser didn't always see eye to eye on the nature of the threat, according to a recent report from one of Canada's intelligence watchdogs.