POEA Warns OFWs Over Offers for Certain Jobs in Canada

Overseas Filipino workers were warned Wednesday against offers for certain jobs in Canada, particularly in the food services sector.

Philippine Overseas Employment Administration head Hans J. Cacdac said a moratorium is in effect on the food services sector's access to the Temporary Foreign Worker program.

“To avoid illegal recruitment, job applicants should reject offers of employment in pizza, hotdog, or other fast food franchise counters in Canada,” Cacdac said on the POEA's Facebook page.

He added the moratorium covers occupations in establishments engaged in preparing meals, snacks and beverages for immediate consumption. These include:

• food counter attendants
• kitchen helpers
• restaurant and food service managers
• food service supervisors
• food and beverage servers
• cashiers
• chefs
• cooks
• bakers
• sales
• marketing and advertising managers
• executive housekeepers
• cleaning supervisors
• butchers
• meat cutters and fishmongers
• sales representatives
• retail salespersons and sales clerks
• hosts/hostesses
• bartenders
• janitors
• caretakers

Cacdac said the moratorium will stay until the completion of the ongoing Canadian government review of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

He added the moratorium stemmed from allegations that the program was being abused to displace Canadian workers.

With the moratorium, the government will not process any new or pending application for Labor Market Opinion (LMO) and no work permit for temporary foreign workers will be approved.

However, the POEA said the suspension does not include food service activities that occur within establishments such as hotels, civic and social associations, amusement and recreation parks, and theaters.

On the other hand, leased food-service locations in facilities such as hotels, shopping malls, airports and department stores are included

Posted in: Jobs in Canada , POEA