Dana Malcolm
Staff writer
#Canada, August 25, 2022 – The Canadian government hosted Jamaican Labor Minister Karl Samuda after migrant workers pleaded with him for help in a letter days before one of them died.
On Thursday, August 11, the workers sent a letter to Samuda detailing the subhuman conditions in which they operate. Jamaicans are employed under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP)
“We live in a First World country, but in both, these farm rats are eating our food. We don’t have clothes dryers, so when it rains, we’re forced to wear cold, wet clothes to work. We live in crowded rooms and have zero privacy. There are cameras around the houses so it feels like we are in prison,” The Jamaica Observer who received one
copy of the reported letter.
Three days later, on Sunday, August 14, Garvin Yapp was killed in an accident on the tobacco farm where he worked near Ontario. Ontario’s Ministry of Labor confirmed the death via Twitter and said they were investigating but did not provide an update.
A disturbing video circulating on social media, while devoid of graphic content, shows the moments after Yapp’s death. It shows some migrant workers on the ground in the throes of shock and grief. Some of the men can be seen walking with their hands on their heads, while others sit in a similar position. As the video progresses, the person filming becomes increasingly distressed to the point of tears as he mourns the apparent death of a colleague and refers to the stress of the job. As he speaks, an ambulance rushes to the property.
In the letter to Samudas, the workers expressed fear that they would lose their jobs if they spoke out. Although specific farms were mentioned, there is no confirmation of a connection between the workers who wrote the letter and those who worked on the farm where Yapp died.
Samuda and Permanent Secretary Colette Roberts Risden and others visited four farms in the Niagara-on-the Lake area of Canada during the tour that began on August 16. Samuda has not yet made an official statement. But a press release shared with the Jamaica Observer said Samuda is “committed to facilitating an increased presence of liaison officers, encouraging workers and making representations to employers on their behalf when necessary.”
Canadian officials have not addressed the letter.
