Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr is to return to Canada next week to verify discrepancies that have emerged with the Canadian Farm Work Programme.

The discrepancies have arisen from the claims being made by farm workers and the official responses received by the Government of Jamaica from Canadian farm operators. Farm workers on the programme have claimed that they are being mistreated by employees and forced to work in inhumane conditions.

Kamina Johnson Smith, minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, speaking at a diaspora town hall meeting in Ottawa, Canada last night, said the issue is a concern for the Jamaican Government, and Charles Jr is tasked to return with information to provide clarity on the issue.

“The fact is that when you commission an investigation, you get a report, and you deal with that report with what is put in, presuming that it is a credible one because the system, which was used to establish the investigation, was a credible one. If it is, however, that it is not complete and it does not reflect the whole story, then it must be our responsibility to enquire further,” said Johnson Smith.

She revealed that the matter is also being investigated by a Canadian senate committee, which includes a Jamaican representative. The committee is responsible for making enquiries and recommendations for the farm work programme and the individual programme.

“It may be that the problems are with one programme and not with another, so the scope of the problem is being assessed as well from the Canadian perspective, and we’re engaging with them and promoting and encouraging that work to take place, because you want to preserve the benefit, but not at all costs,” the foreign minister explained.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness also chimed in on the discussion, reiterating the Government’s commitment to resolving the issue. He insisted that if the programme contravenes the laws, principles, and standards of Jamaica and Canada, then that is information the Government of Jamaica wants to know.

“The challenge we face is that some participants [are] saying there wasn’t a problem, and some were saying there is a problem. So, it is the duty of the Government to take any complaints seriously and to investigate it,” said Holness.

Charles Jr had previously visited Canada to investigate the matter. However, he will return following mounting calls for the issue to be investigated thoroughly.

The Overseas Employment Programme, administered by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, is responsible for selecting and recruiting workers for assignments in the United States and Canada.

The programme has employed Jamaican workers in various fields, including the agricultural and hospitality industries, since 1953.