Hire-Pro was under probe in Canada

This is the same promise made in the 2016-2017 Budget debate in the Senate by Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus that the Rowley-led administration is partnering with Hire Pro Drivers, a British Columbia-based recruitment agency which is looking to ship “long-haul drivers” from TT to Canada, as part of a move to fill “35,000 vacancies.” The minister said then Hire Pro will be visiting TT in December 2016 and has indicated to the Labour Ministry that it welcomes the opportunity to partner with TT as part of a move to fill “35,000 vacancies.” What type of discussions and possible agreement is the Government looking at with this private recruitment agency? Is the Government aware that Hire Pro was under investigation by the Alberta Government, the neighbouring province of BC, over its offshore recruitment practices and allegations that it sought a fee in exchange for job-placement services.

Under labour regulations in both provinces, it is illegal to charge workers in exchange for jobs.

Is the TT Government knowingly associating with a company that has allegedly engaged in questionable hiring practices? According to the Toronto- based Globe and Mail of February 14, 2013, BC’s Employment Standards Branch had an “active investigation” underway in relation to Hire Pro Drivers that links Canadian employers to truck drivers from other countries, including Jamaica.

The article alluded to fraudulent recruiters and consultants claiming to help people get to Canada which had become so bad that the Jamaica Government has a warning on its national labour website urging citizens to check the legitimacy of their representatives.

Is this another pie-in-thesky imaginative idea to mislead the most vulnerable – those who have lost their jobs in this field since the PNM came into office in 2015? What is the process that Hire Pro Drivers must follow to recruit foreigners? Firstly, to recruit a foreigner for any job in Canada, Hire Pro must first advertise the job with Service Canada. If it cannot have the vacancy filled, then it must get the position approved by Service Canada before advertising same abroad.

A driver simply cannot land in Canada, with no driving experience in winter, no experience driving left-hand drive vehicles and get a job driving heavy-duty 18-wheelers. It’s a graduation process to have the licence to drive such vehicles.

Another issue is insurance which is very high for new/ commercial drivers.

Was the Prime Minister misled by his Labour Minister’s pronouncements?

Capil Bissoon via email