"'Unfree labour': N.B. seafood foreign workers faced awful conditions, study says,"

Temporary foreign workers in New Brunswick's seafood industry during the COVID-19 pandemic suffered gruelling and sometimes dangerous conditions, says a study by Dalhousie University.

Workers also endured low pay, long hours, overcrowded housing and limited access to health care...

"Even though temporary foreign workers are an indispensable part of the seafood processing industry, our research found that employers treated workers as if they were doing them a favour by employing them," said the report published Wednesday...

[Lead author Reluca] Bejan said that while overcrowding is a perennial issue in foreign worker housing, the conditions in New Brunswick surprised researchers.

Workers described problems such as crammed, dirty housing with limited space to refrigerate and cook food, no internet access, low water pressure and insufficient heating, she said. "We didn't expect it to be such a major finding."...

Workers paid recruitment fees of up to $2,000, and earned about $300 a week, the study said. While most workers paid about $150 in rent every two weeks, it was common for them to live with as many as 10 to 20 others...

Workers also faced employer abuse, which she said included deportation threats...

Another talked about having their breaks monitored by management...

Some companies allegedly harassed employees into working overtime, and when they refused, management "would investigate you or go to your house or watch you, ask you where you were or what you were doing, it was exhausting," the study said...