Employees of an RPA in Lévis mistreated and paid $50 a week

A private residence for seniors in Lévis is the target of a series of complaints for the treatment reserved for several workers of African origin.

The Villa Mon Domaine residence would have hired beneficiary attendants without a work permit. In addition to being mistreated by their employer, the workers were reportedly paid derisory amounts despite working full time.

“They were paid with prepaid credit cards. Once a week, they received an amount of 50 or 70 dollars to go grocery shopping,” explained the coordinator of services at Le Tremplin, Christine Orain, in an interview with TVA Nouvelles.

At least six agents questioned and denounced this situation during meetings with officials of the organization. Some of them would have been employed by the RPA for 11 months without having a work permit.

“It is totally unacceptable. These are people who, as a result, do not have access to the RAMQ. If they had a work accident, they would not be entitled to anything at all, ”claims M^me Orain.

Some of these workers were recruited in their country of origin, while others were approached when they were already visitors to Canada.

The residence would have offered to those who did not hold a work permit to take care of obtaining one for them. In the meantime, workers were invited to do “volunteering”

“Volunteering consisted of 40 or 35 hours a week for several months,” says Christine Orain.

The latter explains that the agents of African origin did not know if such a practice was permitted in Canada, which explains why they could have been cheated for so long.

To see the full interview, watch the video above.