I have no problem believing that the potential for abuse exists. It is obvious to me that in this instance, the employer wields considerable authority over the employee. Furthermore, a person in a foreign country may not necessarily be familiar with the various laws. That person may not be a position to fight back. With respect to the cases that have been documented, at some point we will need to have names and concrete examples to get a clear picture of the situation.
I can appreciate that these workers are in a difficult situation, what with changing employers and everything. This committee has discussed this issue at length since beginning its hearings. Initially, I questioned the need for this measure. I felt that the government must have had a reason for imposing this restriction. After a while, employers told us that they paid recruitment and travel costs for these individuals and that they wanted more or less to maximize the return on their investment.
At this time, I would like to make a suggestion which I will put out there for you and for the other people in attendance. I would like to come up with a system that would allow an employee with temporary worker status to change jobs while continuing to work in the same field. That worker could change jobs, provided the new employer compensated the former employer for any financial losses incurred.
Do you think this might be one interesting solution?