Grossly unfair treatment of farm workers
published: Wednesday | January 7, 2004

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I HAVE noticed that the Jamaican government does little to improve the plight of farm workers who travel to Canada and the U.S. and live in sub-standard living conditions, with little understanding of what type of environment that these workers are travelling into.

Farms from Canada and the U.S. should be screened to make sure that the Jamaican/ foreign farm workers are treated properly and with some dignity and respect.

Canadian and U.S. governments are using more and more Mexican labourers in order to improve cost measures. It is important for the Jamaican government to remind the foreign governments that their workers work harder and speak English, which allows them to talk without any language restrictions. Jamaican migrant farm workers are a necessity for these farms abroad and better negotiations should take place to make sure the number of workers stays constant. Many workers need the money to support their families back home, thus the money circulates back into the Jamaican economy.

I am, etc.,

DONNA FARRAY

donnafarray@hotmail.com

Via Go-Jamaica