Mining’s old guard needs strong medicine
A new report details subpar investor returns in the mining industry over the last decade, particularly big cap diversified companies which have not adapted to new realities.
Accusations of Chinese miners being dubiously brought into the Canadian province of British Columbia to work in coal mines has prompted the federal government not only to investigate the issue, but to review its entire temporary foreign worker program.
In a statement released Thursday by Human Resources Minister, Diane Finley, the government said it is not convinced that HD Mining has made sufficient attempts to hire and train Canadians.
Finley said the government is also concerned about allegations that HD Mining required applicants to be fluent in Mandarin.
Both the provincial and federal government are already investigating the use of foreign workers in HD Mining ‘s proposed underground coal mine near Tumbler Ridge.
On Monday, two major B.C. unions requested Canada’s Federal Court overturn a decision to allow about 200 foreign workers to come before the end of the year to start building the coal project.
According to the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training’s website, a company can be fined up to $10,000 if found guilty of breaching the province’s Employment Standards Act.
Foreign workers are the responsibility of the federal government.
Image: “Swallowed by the earth” photo exhibition. Detail by Jjackunrau.
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12 Comments
John P. Saunders
We will have the same issue in Australia soon. Companies refuse to train local workers and rush to exploit foreign workers. Out of 1331 hits for “operator” in mining on “Seek.com.au” you will be lucky find a handful that offer training to inexperienced operators. If you are white and male …forget it.
nel
thats what they doing in other countries where they invest in mining..bring in their troops.. its cheaper..
Jonas_Barbarossa
I bet that the $10,000 fine will cripple their operation and cause them to file for bankruptcy.
Tubedog
I can’t tell if you are being sarcastic or not. Ten grand is pocket change to these guys, and I doubt it would put a dent in the profit they’ve already made by hiring chinese workers and paying them nothing.
Jonas_Barbarossa
@b8fe0617fe9f665ba6e3549ac88629c8:disqus yes; my feeble attempt at sarcasm! This is what I call “rampant capitalism” i.e. when one’s fellow citizens sell the country down the river for a quick buck. Unfortunately these things come home to roost…
Patmaguire
I hope this doesn’t effect my efforts to find work at Oil Sands. I am a geomatics technician/land surveyor. All of my contacts and my research say there is a shortage of my craft. I want to be successful, but I don’t want to take a job that a local can fill or have a negative impact on prevailing wages.
Brandon
I’m sure appropriate solutions will prevail.
Shanti Kumar Chiluka
I agree with Arty and Brandon. It is the result of Globalization, but it needs to be rationalized, to keep the home country an advantage and should be a win-win approach. Just because few companies use these methods, whole work permit need not be stringent.
arty
It apparent this company does not want to pay proper Canadian wages. In my opinion HD Mining should shove off and go back where they came from. We as Canadians do not want or need this kind of company in our country.
Anthony,
That is the Chinese method to beat cost , they dont care about the indigneous locals! we in Africa we gonna try to rectify that, since our many governments seem to enjoy “made by Chinese” for they poltical mileages at the cost the welfare of the people.
CDNJoe2
This is a bigger issue than many know about, and the government has been suspiciously slow to address. XL Foods has been in the news a lot lately and use foreign workers. A friend worked for a company in Toronto, (A.C. Neilson), that was bought by a foreign company. Since the takeover most of the workers have been let go and replaced by “temporary workers” from overseas. Now Chinese workers getting mining jobs in B.C. (and they pay $12,500.00 to the company for the opportunity to come here).
What will happen if China is allowed to buy up billions of dollars worth of the Alberta tar sands? Mandarin will be Canadas new second language? Harpers “Action Plan” and new China/India free trade agreements will require Canadians to speak Chinese or West Indian languages and work for $50.00 a month. Unions will be banished.
I wonder;
1: How does Harper expect to grow Canadas’ economy in the long term when he is asleep at the switch in the short term?
2: How does a “consumer” based economy grow when the resources, profits, jobs and therefore taxes are farmed out to companies and workers from other countries?
Just wondering, that’s all.
Joe
A.C. Taylor
This is what happened to Nordegg and is why it was shut down.