Filipino temporary workers learn their rights in Calgary assembly

Scores of Filipinos came to the one-day  Temporary Workers (TFWs) Assembly in Calgary, hosted jointly by several agencies to make them aware of their rights and responsibilities while in Canada.

The event was a joint project to the  Philippine Consulate General in Calgary with the Philippine Overseas Labour Office Vancouver, Overseas Workers Welfare Office Vancouver, Calgary Catholic Immigration Society and Catholic Social Services, explained Philippine Consul General Zaldy Patron.

The assembly reviewed consular, labor and welfare services, as well as benefits and community support for TFWs. It also explained the rules on Alberta’s employment standard, labor exploitation and human trafficking.

There is reportedly a backlog of over a million applications before Immigration Canada. To address individual concerns and specific needs, the assembly provided a one-on-one free legal clinic with lawyers, with booths set up by the Alberta TFW advisory office and various Philippine agencies.