As of fairly recently, migrant workers from South East Asia are migrating to Canada for work in the agricultural industry. Little research has been conducted on migration routes and recruitment patterns of these migrant workers. Interviews with 13 workers and three support workers were conducted between May and July 2011 to learn about this process; specifically with how these individuals are getting to Canada, and how they maintain (or do not maintain) relationships with the private intermediaries and employment agencies that facilitate this movement. This research will fill a gap in the literature by describing the recruitment processes of ‘low-skilled’ workers into Canada and, more importantly, it will provide a much-needed space for South East Asian migrants to share their experiences about working in Canada.

Abstract available in pdf file.

Bien que le gouvernement japonais ait historiquement été réticent à l’idée d’établir une politique d’immigration pour remédier au vieillissement de sa population, un nombre chaque année grandissant de migrantes et migrants se rendent au Japon pour y travailler, dans des conditions parfois difficiles. Alors que le gouvernement japonais et les principaux syndicats du pays semblent ignorer les revendications pour l’amélioration de leurs conditions de vie et de travail, de nombreuses organisations de la société civile offrent leur soutien aux communautés migrantes. Afin de mieux comprendre comment s’organise ce mouvement social contemporain, nous avons procédé à une étude de cas au sein d'un tel groupe de défense des droits de la région de Tokyo, au Japon, par une observation participante et dix entretiens individuels. Pour analyser cette action collective, nous mobilisons le cadre conceptuel développé par Benford et Snow (2000) autour des « processus de cadrage », les « répertoires d'actions » et les « structures d’opportunités politiques » théorisés notamment par Tilly et Tarrow (2015) ainsi que les processus de construction d'une identité collective – l’identization – tels que proposés par Melucci (1996). Il ressort de nos analyses que le problème central identifié par le groupe de défense des droits correspond à l’absence d’une politique nationale d’immigration. Deux principales solutions sont donc mises de l’avant, soit l’adoption d’une telle politique par l’État japonais et la reconnaissance d’une société multiethnique et multiculturelle. Plusieurs limites subsistent toutefois quant à l’appel à l’action collective. Nos analyses permettent notamment de comprendre comment les principales actions mises en place par l’organisation ont historiquement visé le monde politique et peuvent être par moments peu adaptées au public que constitue la société civile japonaise. De plus, nous avons pu constater que la structure d’opportunités politiques, dont la législation portant sur l’immigration et le travail, favorise et limite de différentes façons l’action collective. Enfin, l’étude des processus de construction d’une identité collective nous a permis de mieux comprendre comment les communautés migrantes et d’origines diverses rencontrent certaines difficultés dans leur implication au sein du mouvement, alors qu’elles peuvent ne pas maîtriser la langue d’usage ou ne pas faire partie des réseaux de solidarités pertinents. / Although the Japanese government has historically been reluctant to establish an immigration policy to address the ageing of its population, an increasing number of migrants travel to Japan each year to work, sometimes under difficult conditions. While the Japanese government and the country's main trade unions are reportedly ignoring demands to improve their living and working conditions, many civil society organizations offer their support to migrant communities. In order to better understand how this contemporary social movement is organized, we conducted a case study within one such advocacy group in the Tokyo region, through participant observation and ten individual interviews. To analyze this collective action, we mobilize the conceptual framework developed by Benford and Snow (2000) around the "framing processes", the "repertoire of contention" and the "political opportunity structure" theorized by Tilly and Tarrow (2015) as well as the processes of building collective identities – identization – as proposed by Melucci (1996). Our analyses indicate that a central problem identified by the advocacy group is the lack of a national immigration policy. Two main solutions are therefore put forward, namely the adoption of such a policy by the Japanese government and the recognition of a multi-ethnic and multicultural society. However, several obstacles remain with regard to the call for collective action. In particular, our analyses help us understand how the main actions implemented by the organization have historically targeted the political world and may at times be ill-suited for Japanese civil society. In addition, we have seen that the structure of political opportunities, including immigration and labour legislation, facilitates and constrains collective action in different ways. Finally, the study of the construction of a collective identity has allowed us to better understand how migrant and foreign communities encounter a number of difficulties in their involvement in the movement, as they may not master the language or be part of the relevant social networks.

Founded in 1928, Iscor was intended to make South Africa self sufficient in the provision of steel while providing employment for poor whites. Economic considerations prevailed when Iscor began replacing expensive white labour with cheaper black labour. From 1934 to 1948 black labour was employed to curtail costs. While being replaced by black labour, white employees' salaries and fringe benefits remained better than those of their black colleagues. Affordable houses were provided for white employees while blacks were housed in overcrowded compounds. No medical or pension benefits were made available to black employees or their families, while white employees enjoyed both. White employees were provided with what were arguabley the finest sports facilities in the country while black facilities were neglected. With the National Party victory in 1948 more emphasis was placed on the employment of Afrikaans speaking white South Africans at the expense of blacks and English speaking whites. / History / M.A. (History)

The migrant labour practice in South Africa played an important role in the country's development and economy. Although it has benefited many native migrant workers by creating job opportunities, it has had adverse effects on the families of migrant workers. The focus of this study is the phenomenon of migrant labouring and its effects on the family. A literature study has shown that migrant labourers, living in overcrowded city hostels, were subjected to exploitation, malnutrition and crime. The empirical study brought to light the many problems experienced by the families back home: Wives were overburdened by dual roles and responsibilities, lack of support and money, children's development was impeded and academic motivations and performance were low. The ultimate aim of this study was to design practical guidelines to help families cope with the effects of an absent father due to the migrant labour practice. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed.(Guidance and Counselling)

Dans le contexte de l'effritement de la société salariale (Castel 1995), on constate au Canada une prolifération de statuts d'emplois atypiques, une flexibilisation et une précarisation du travail, ainsi qu'une augmentation du nombre de travailleuses et travailleurs pauvres. Deux formes d’emploi semblent particulièrement illustrer la pauvreté et la précarité en emploi : le travail immigrant en agence de placement temporaire et le travail migrant temporaire. Alors que le travail en agence de placement (TAP) constitue un marché du travail précaire, on y retrouve un grand nombre d’immigrants reçus, de demandeurs d’asile ou de réfugiés, employés dans des emplois sous-qualifiés, malgré des niveaux de scolarité souvent élevés. Par ailleurs, le programme fédéral des travailleurs étrangers temporaires peu-spécialisés (PTET-PS), permet aux employeurs canadiens le recrutement d’une main-d’œuvre étrangère pour des postes déclarés non pourvus par une main-d’œuvre locale, établissant des normes spécifiques d'emploi et de migration et constituant un marché du travail transnational et fortement concurrentiel au travail salarié. La thèse interroge les processus institutionnels de construction des conditions d’accès à l’emploi pour ces deux catégories de travailleurs non natifs du Canada que sont (1) les immigrants reçus et les réfugiés insérés en emploi d’agences de placement dans le secteur de l’entreposage et (2) les travailleurs étrangers temporaires peu-spécialisés travaillant dans un abattoir. Une immersion ethnographique effectuée sur le mode de la participation observante pendant près de deux ans au Centre des travailleuses et travailleurs immigrants (CTI) à Montréal, complétée par une série d’entretiens semi-directifs réalisés auprès de travailleurs, de personnes ressources et d’intervenants du secteur communautaire, montrent que la construction de ces régimes de travail doit être analysée (1) au croisement des politiques publiques d'immigration, de la régulation du travail, des mesures d’insertion en emploi des immigrants et de l’encadrement du regroupement familial, (2) au regard des pratiques des acteurs du marché du travail (entreprises, agences de placement/recrutement, organisations professionnelles et sectorielles) et (3) en considérant les manières dont les travailleurs intègrent les conditions structurelles de l’emploi immigrant à leurs stratégies de vie personnelles et familiales. Il ressort que l’association de statuts juridiques d’immigration et de certaines formes d’emploi structure des régimes de travail caractérisés par la captivité en emploi, construits relativement aux enjeux et aux besoins immédiats des secteurs d’activité et légitimés par une législation entravant de façon systémique l’accès des travailleurs aux droits et libertés. On observe ensuite que ces régimes de travail contraint produisent des conditions d’accès à l’emploi définies sur un continuum allant de la qualification des personnes, à leur déqualification professionnelle, à leur disqualification sociale. Alors que les travailleurs rencontrés ont la particularité d’être fixés à leur emploi précaire par des contraintes liées à leur exclusion des emplois valorisés et/ou à leurs statuts juridiques d’immigration, la thèse interroge finalement les formes possibles de mobilisation et de défense collective de leurs intérêts à travers une étude de cas portant sur des actions collectives soutenues par un groupe communautaire en lien avec des syndicats. / In the context of the erosion of the “société salariale” (wage-earning society, Castel 1995), in Canada as elsewhere, we are witnessing the proliferation of atypical employment conditions, the flexibilisation and casualization of work, and an increase in the number of working poor. Two forms of employment best illustrate poverty and precariousness in employment: immigrants working in temporary placement agencies (temp agencies) and temporary foreign workers (TFWs). The precarious labour market of temp agency work harnesses a large number of highly educated landed immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers employed in low-skilled jobs. Moreover, the federal program for low-skilled temporary foreign workers (TFWP-LS), allows Canadian employers to recruit foreign workers for positions unfilled by the local workforce. The TFWP-LS establishes specific employment and immigration standards, thereby institutionalizing a transnational labour force competing with domestic wage-earners. This thesis examines the institutional processes that create the terms of access to employment for two categories of foreign-born workers in Canada: (1) landed immigrants and refugees working in warehouses through temporary placement agencies and (2) low-skilled temporary foreign workers in slaughterhouses. A nearly two-year ethnographic immersion at the Immigrant Workers Centre (IWC) in Montreal, based on the “observant participation” method, complemented by a series of semi-structured interviews with workers, key informants and community sector stakeholders, showed that the construction of these work arrangements is complex. An understanding of these categories of work requires an analysis: (1) at the intersection of immigration policies, labour regulations, employment integration measures for immigrants, and regulations related to family reunification; (2) in relation to the practices of labour market actors (companies, placement/recruitment agencies, professional and sectorial organizations); and (3) in consideration of the ways in which workers incorporate the structural conditions of im/migrant employment in their personal and family life strategies and choices. Results show that immigration status has intersected with certain forms of employment to structure work arrangements characterized by forced labour. Those work arrangements are built on the short-term needs of industries and are legitimized by legislation that systemically impedes workers' access to rights and freedoms. These constrained work arrangements lead (im)migrant workers through a deleterious process, starting with their qualification as an (im)migrant to Canada, then professional de-skilling and finally social disqualification. While the workers met in the context of this project are constrained in their precarious jobs due to their exclusion from qualified jobs and/or by their legal immigration status, the thesis concludes by exploring the possible forms of mobilization and collective defense of their interests through a case study of collective action supported by a community group in connection with trade unions.

Founded in 1928, Iscor was intended to make South Africa self sufficient in the provision of steel while providing employment for poor whites. Economic considerations prevailed when Iscor began replacing expensive white labour with cheaper black labour. From 1934 to 1948 black labour was employed to curtail costs. While being replaced by black labour, white employees' salaries and fringe benefits remained better than those of their black colleagues. Affordable houses were provided for white employees while blacks were housed in overcrowded compounds. No medical or pension benefits were made available to black employees or their families, while white employees enjoyed both. White employees were provided with what were arguabley the finest sports facilities in the country while black facilities were neglected. With the National Party victory in 1948 more emphasis was placed on the employment of Afrikaans speaking white South Africans at the expense of blacks and English speaking whites. / History / M.A. (History)

The migrant labour practice in South Africa played an important role in the country's development and economy. Although it has benefited many native migrant workers by creating job opportunities, it has had adverse effects on the families of migrant workers. The focus of this study is the phenomenon of migrant labouring and its effects on the family. A literature study has shown that migrant labourers, living in overcrowded city hostels, were subjected to exploitation, malnutrition and crime. The empirical study brought to light the many problems experienced by the families back home: Wives were overburdened by dual roles and responsibilities, lack of support and money, children's development was impeded and academic motivations and performance were low. The ultimate aim of this study was to design practical guidelines to help families cope with the effects of an absent father due to the migrant labour practice. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed.(Guidance and Counselling)

Hostels are a product of the migrant labour system that originated in the copper mining industry in Namaqualand in the 1850s. The migrant labour compounds were used to accommodate migrant labour workers in the urban areas. However, these compounds also meant that migrant labour workers were denied the right of access to permanent accommodation and residential space in the urban areas. After the repeal of the influx control and segregative laws in South Africa in 1986, some of the hostel dwellers brought their relatives and friends to live in the hostels and this resulted in problems such as overcrowding which were exacerbated by poor management and control of the hostels. The living conditions of the hostel dwellers deteriorated during the 1990s. After the announcement of the unbanning of all liberation movements and political parties in South Africa in the 1990s, hostel violence broke out. This hostel violence left many hostel blocks vandalised and without basic municipal services such as electricity, water and waste removal. The hostel violence was primarily between the Inkata Freedom Party (IFP) aligned hostel dwellers and the African National Congress (ANC) aligned township and informal settlement residents. The hostel violence has catalysed the public housing challenges faced by the democratic government since its inception in 1994. Nevertheless, since 1994 the democratic government has introduced various housing programmes in an effort to provide adequate houses for all South African citizens. One such housing programme is the hostel redevelopment programme. The hostel redevelopment programme was adopted by the democratic government after 1994 with the aim of, among other things, upgrading public hostels, redeveloping and converting the rooms in public hostels into family rental units in order to improve the living conditions of the hostel dwellers and introducing hostel dwellers to family life. The Mogale City Local Municipality (MCLM) is one of the municipalities in Gauteng province that is participating in the hostel redevelopment programme. The findings of this study have revealed that the upgrading of the Kagiso hostel involved the following two processes: During the first process, the MCLM upgraded the Kagiso hostel by fixing broken windows and doors, repairing toilets and providing basic municipal services such as electricity, water, and waste removal in order to improve the living conditions of the hostel dwellers. The second process involved demolishing the hostel blocks and converting them into family units in order to address the public housing challenges relevant to the Kagiso hostel. In this study, the hostel redevelopment programme is called process 1 and the community residential units (CRU) programme is called process 2. / Public Administration & Management / M. Tech. (Public Management)

Hostels are a product of the migrant labour system that originated in the copper mining industry in Namaqualand in the 1850s. The migrant labour compounds were used to accommodate migrant labour workers in the urban areas. However, these compounds also meant that migrant labour workers were denied the right of access to permanent accommodation and residential space in the urban areas. After the repeal of the influx control and segregative laws in South Africa in 1986, some of the hostel dwellers brought their relatives and friends to live in the hostels and this resulted in problems such as overcrowding which were exacerbated by poor management and control of the hostels. The living conditions of the hostel dwellers deteriorated during the 1990s. After the announcement of the unbanning of all liberation movements and political parties in South Africa in the 1990s, hostel violence broke out. This hostel violence left many hostel blocks vandalised and without basic municipal services such as electricity, water and waste removal. The hostel violence was primarily between the Inkata Freedom Party (IFP) aligned hostel dwellers and the African National Congress (ANC) aligned township and informal settlement residents. The hostel violence has catalysed the public housing challenges faced by the democratic government since its inception in 1994. Nevertheless, since 1994 the democratic government has introduced various housing programmes in an effort to provide adequate houses for all South African citizens. One such housing programme is the hostel redevelopment programme. The hostel redevelopment programme was adopted by the democratic government after 1994 with the aim of, among other things, upgrading public hostels, redeveloping and converting the rooms in public hostels into family rental units in order to improve the living conditions of the hostel dwellers and introducing hostel dwellers to family life. The Mogale City Local Municipality (MCLM) is one of the municipalities in Gauteng province that is participating in the hostel redevelopment programme. The findings of this study have revealed that the upgrading of the Kagiso hostel involved the following two processes: During the first process, the MCLM upgraded the Kagiso hostel by fixing broken windows and doors, repairing toilets and providing basic municipal services such as electricity, water, and waste removal in order to improve the living conditions of the hostel dwellers. The second process involved demolishing the hostel blocks and converting them into family units in order to address the public housing challenges relevant to the Kagiso hostel. In this study, the hostel redevelopment programme is called process 1 and the community residential units (CRU) programme is called process 2. / Public Administration and Management / M. Tech. (Public Management)