HD Mining / Jobs advertised in China at lower pay

A mining company that has hired hundreds of temporary workers from China for its northern B.C. coal mine advertised those jobs in Canada for $10 to $17 less than what is paid for similar work at a nearby mine, a lawyer representing two unions told a federal court judge on Friday.

HD Mining also advertised specifically for workers who speak Mandarin, Charles Gordon said in arguing for the unions’ interest in taking the decision to grant those permits to court.

“Bringing in up to 300 temporary foreign workers at wage rates considerably below what has been bargained by the trade unions at an immediately adjacent mine will invariably erode the union’s bargaining power, and thus its ability to negotiate better terms and conditions of employment for its members at that mine.”

Those jobs are not available to members, Gordon said.

“This directly affects the union as a union,” he argued…

Choosen excerpts by JMM from

via B.C. coal mine advertised jobs in China at ‘considerably’ lower pay: union.

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