GTA truckers rally against wage theft

Drivers for several GTA trucking companies are calling on the federal government to do more to help them in their fight against “stolen wages” by their employers. They say delays in the federal system are leading to long wait times when it comes to receiving the money they’re owed.

The group Justice For Truck Drivers held a rally outside the Labour Program office in Toronto Saturday, calling on the federal government to fix the problems enforcing payment orders and to better regulate the trucking industry.

“There’s literally no fear amongst employers to break the law,” said Navi Aujla, the executive director of Labour Community Services of Peel, who says her office receives hundreds of requests for help from frustrated truck drivers.

“We’ve had over 160 truck drivers call us in the last two years because wage theft is so rampant in the industry and the numbers only keep growing.”

Manjinder Singh has been a truck driver for three years and says he has faced numerous obstacles in receiving what he says he is owed from doing his job.

“I did not get my first paycheck until three months after I started working,” says Singh, who claims he is owed more than $10,000. “When you’re not getting paid every week, why should you keep working.”

The federal Labour Program is meant to help wage earners dispute payment issues with their employers without having to hire a lawyer and go to small claims court. But Singh says there are problems when it comes to enforcing payment orders.

“The payment order that they give to the employer, it’s nothing for the employer. The employer just looks at it and does nothing – it doesn’t scare (them).”

Aujla explains that even if a worker is successful going this route there’s no guarantee they’ll actually get their money because there is no enforcement.

“I know I will get the wages but I don’t know when – maybe three years maybe four years, no idea,” says Singh. “But we are working together to fix the system.”

The group is planning to hold a town hall at the Jim Archdekin Recreation Centre on Conestoga Drive in Brampton on July 22 to discuss further how truckers can come together to demand better working conditions and protections.