With thousands jobless as the economy reels from the global pandemic, scores of Barbadians are to leave the island soon to head to Canada for jobs in farming, Minister of Labour Colin Jordan has revealed.
Barbados is set to participate in the Seasonal Agriculture Workers’ Programme despite delays due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He told Barbados TODAY that within days a contingent of over 100 workers are to head to Canada once flights arrangements have been finalized.
But Jordan said: “How and when those flights are arranged is not really up to us, that is up to the Canadian government working with the farmers’ organization to organize those flights so that they can come into Barbados, take the Barbadian workers and go back.
“So the situation is very fluid but it is being worked on and I believe that within days, no more than a week or two, the first set of Barbadian workers will be going off to Canada.
“We are right now assessing our workers. We have said to them this is the situation. We have indicated to them what the issues could possibly be. But I have to say to you that Barbadian workers want to work.
“The workers understand the situation and they have made decisions, and almost all have said yes we want to go. So we are fully part of the programme and some of our workers are soon going to be leaving to go to Canada to earn some money to support themselves and their families.”
Given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Barbados and the rest of the world, the Labour Minister said he was concerned that the programme would have to be cancelled this year.
But in talks with Canadian authorities, Government has been assured that the workers will be going into a safe environment, he said.
Jordan told Barbados TODAY: “Under normal circumstances, persons would have gone to Canada during the month of March, not all, but some. But we would have had flight disruptions and there also was the situation where protocols had to be put in place by the Canadian government and the Canadian farmers’ organizations to ensure that workers were safe in the work environment.
“We have been working very closely with the Canadian government and through our consulate in Toronto as well as our High Commission in Ottawa to make sure that all the protocols that would keep Barbadian workers safe are in place. We are satisfied that those protocols are in place. From actually visiting the farms we recognize that in many cases there is always natural distance as workers work.”
The Minister also indicated that the management of some of the Canadian farms have requested that the workers be brought in earlier than usual owing to delays in readying crops for harvest.
He said that it was important Barbados played its part in supporting the programme at this time since some of the island’s food is imported from Canada.
Jordan declared: “At the end of the day, the world still needs to eat and some of the supplies chains that I am talking about that are being disrupted are also in Canada.
“So [Barbadians] have a vested interest in making sure that agriculture around the world does not fail because all of us have to eat.” anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb
