Chinese workers stiffed: MLA Paid paltry $3 an hour at oilsands project

tandog · 发表于 2009-5-28 10:55

Chinese workers stiffed: MLA
Paid paltry $3 an hour at oilsands project
By KERRY DIOTTE, LEGISLATURE BUREAU CHIEF

More than 130 temporary foreign workers wound up being paid only about $3 an hour to toil at a major Alberta oilsands project, a Liberal MLA revealed yesterday.

The workers from the People's Republic of China, received just 10% of what they were supposed to be paid, said Edmonton Gold Bar Liberal MLA Hugh MacDonald who tabled a document yesterday on the case in the legislature.

The workers were shortchanged for their work between April 2007 and July 2007 while on a project working for a contractor at the Horizon oilsands site near Fort McMurray, owned by Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., MacDonald said.

"Here we have 132 temporary foreign workers working at one of the largest construction sites in the province for four months getting 10% of what they were promised, which is a wage over $30 an hour," he said. "This is appalling."

Alberta employment standards officials probed the case and found the workers were shortchanged on wages, overtime and holiday pay for those four months that they worked at the site for contractor SSEC Canada Company Ltd.

The combined work totalled 142,229 hours at agreed rates of $30.56 per hour to $32.24 an hour, according to a letter MacDonald received from Alberta Employment and Immigration Minister Hector Goudreau, whose ministry probed the case.

Goudreau's letter said employees were owed as much as $3,171,895.27 plus more than $1.2 million in overtime pay.

One worker has filed a lawsuit over the matter and alleges in a statement of claim that a Sinopec business manager helped him open a bank account in Fort McMurray but he was confused about the matter and wound up receiving just $200 cash per month from Sinopec.

The statement of claim filed in Calgary Court of Queen's Bench seeks damages of $42,900 and names four defendants, including Sinopec Shanghai Engineering Company Ltd., The Tenth Construction Company, SSEC Canada Ltd. and Wang Xing, also known as Helen Wang.

But MacDonald said there's double trouble. CNRL is ponying up cash twice for the same work, he said.

"CNRL is also a victim here because they have been forced due to government inaction to pay twice."

The company has agreed to give the ministry $3,171,895.27 to be distributed to the Chinese workers. It's believed most, if not all, have left Canada.

MacDonald believes the whole messy affair could have been cleared up sooner if provincial employment standards officials had been on the case faster.

Under the federal temporary foreign workers program, provinces tell the feds how many workers are needed and also enforce employment standards.

"On a large construction site like this, employment standards officials should have been visiting the site weekly," said MacDonald.

"We've got to make sure this never happens again.

"Hopefully Mr. Goudreau and staff will track every worker down and make sure they're paid up fair and square."

MacDonald, though, praised Goudreau for providing him with all the details about the incident.

"To his credit, he gave me all the information I asked for," said MacDonald.

On April 24, 2007, two Chinese temporary foreign workers for SSEC Canada Ltd. were killed at the Horizon site when the roof of an under-construction oil tank collapsed. A record 53 charges were laid after the fatalities.

KERRY.DIOTTE@SUNMEDIA.CA

黄盖 · 发表于 2009-5-28 17:45

大家帮忙找出这个败类！WANG XING OR HELEN WANG.

terry · 发表于 2009-5-28 23:23

太嚣张了，才给了中国工人10％的工资。一定是在中间某个环节让人把钱给吞了。可惜的是那些外来劳工英语可能不好，也不知道去哪投诉。只有忍气吞声。现在终于被揭发了。

红魔杖 · 发表于 2009-5-29 11:48

烟雨江南 · 发表于 2009-5-30 10:41

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[爱城新闻] Chinese workers stiffed: MLA Paid paltry $3 an hour at oilsands project