A number of Jamaicans are among dozens of farm workers who’ve been infected with COVID-19 at the Greenhill Produce in Ontario, Canada.
The COVID-19 pandemic is again highlighting longstanding issues plaguing the farm work programme.
These include overcrowded bunkhouses, lack of personal protective equipment and the absence of labour rights.
This, as Canada considers the agriculture industry an essential business and migrants essential workers.
On Friday, April 24 another batch of Jamaicans left the island for Canada on the seasonal work programme.
The farm workers have been allowed to enter the country despite border closures due to COVID-19.
But, the workers who’ve journeyed to Canada are at risk.
Already, migrant workers have been infected with the coronavirus and there’s concern it could get worse.
Chris Ramsaroop, Organiser of the migrant worker advocacy group Justice for Migrant Workers, J4MW, said that in recent days some 42 people have been infected with the virus on a farm in Ontario.
J4MW has taken to several platforms to highlight some of the issues that could significantly increase the possibility of migrant workers in the agricultural industry contracting COVID-19.
Ramsaroop said on the particular farm in Ontario, migrant farmers say up to six people were being housed in one room with minimal social distancing.
Non-regulated communal housing is a common feature of the seasonal work programme.
But with COVID-19, the need for social distancing requires adjusted living conditions to protect workers.
However, Ramsaroop said he’s received pictures from workers, which show three to four people in one room.
He also said migrant workers do not receive personal protective equipment and complain about the lack of social distancing on the job.
With these seemingly unsafe conditions that could fuel the spread of the coronavirus, workers have kept quiet.
A former migrant worker, Gabrielle Allahdua said fear of unemployment and being sent home for complaining keep migrant workers silent.
And Ramsaroop said this is coupled with the lack of labour rights for migrant workers.
Saw that coming from a mile away….smh