Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles Jr has ordered an investigation into the living conditions and work environment of farm workers in Ontario, Canada after a cohort of farmers made the decision to withdraw their services on Thursday (June 1) in protest.

In a media release on Friday (June 2), the Labour Ministry said that it is closely monitoring reports coming from a cohort of its farm workers that have indicated that they are operating under subpar conditions.
The Ministry said that Liaison officers were directed to visit the location to provide a fulsome report on the conditions of the farm workers.

“The Ministry of Labour and Social Security remain unrelenting in its efforts to safeguard the safety and health of our farm workers and will continue to work with our partners to ensure that the treatment of farm workers overseas is in keeping with the expected global standards,” the Ministry said.

The Labour Ministry continued that it is committed to ensuring that Jamaican farm workers are provided with the best working and living conditions.