For decades the growth of temporary employment agencies has had a real impact on how rural job markets are taking shape. A 2006 study highlights a consistent rise in part time, low wage jobs over the last several years. It claims that 11 percent of all rural workers hold temporary jobs. These jobs are often found through local temping agencies, which are thriving even in these difficult economic times. A recent piece of legislation, Bill 139, is long overdue. This bill includes new regulations for temping agencies, but it will not prevent all the abuses that take place, especially in rural areas.

I’ve found temping agencies can lend a hand in the short term. Some agencies do provide useful training to unskilled workers. However, abuses can occur with temping agencies that focus on providing unskilled labour to manufacturing facilities in rural areas.
(more…)

Who in Canada is not familiar with the work of Craig Kielburger? Inspired at age 12 to fight child labour overseas, he and his brother Marc founded Free the Children to “empower children in North America to take action to improve the lives of fellow children overseas.”

But what happens when the child labour is happening right here at home?

In late 2003, the BC government changed child labour laws to allow children as young as 12 into the workplace. According to a new report, there has been a 10-fold increase in the number of child work-place injury claims accepted by WorkSafeBC, BC’s worker compensation body, since that change.
(more…)