NDP leader Jagmeet Singh fielded harsh criticism this week from a group of activists advocating for migrant workers’ rights — a cause the leader has promised to address in an upcoming party platform. Justice for Migrant Workers, a Toronto non-profit that promotes rights of farm workers participating in the Canadian Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, slammed Singh Tuesday for social media promotion of his visit to Windsor-area greenhouses, which they say are part of an industry that systematically exploits racialized migrants for profit.“This industry has basically been built on the blood sweat and sacrifices of low wage, racialized, precarious workers,” said Chris Ramsaroop, a Justice for Migrant Workers advocate. “It’s concerning that Jagmeet was there to . . . support an industry that’s based on exploitation.”Singh, who does not have a seat in the House of Commons, has said he is using his time outside it to travel the country and visit communities to build momentum for the party’s brand and ideas. “I’ve lived in cities across (Canada), but Windsor is where I’ve lived the longest, so going home over the weekend was special,” Singh posted on Twitter Tuesday, alongside photos of him smiling in a Mucci Farms greenhouse. “From touring organic greenhouses in Kingsville to connecting with people in (downtown) Windsor the (people) we meet, and stories we hear inspire us to build a better future.” Ramsaroop said that when migrant workers come to Canada under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, they’re uniquely susceptible to exploitation because of the conditions placed on them. “By tying someone to a particular employer, what happens is that it silences workers and ensures that there’s a captive labour force,” Ramsaroop said. On top of that, migrant workers here, under that program, don’t have the option to apply for permanent residency. Si ...
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