I was denied a job after refusing sex - Woman claims supervisor prevented her from getting Canadian employment

A Jamaican woman who has worked on the lower skilled programme in Canada is calling on the Government to provide representation for Jamaicans on the programme, as she is claiming that she was not given a second chance to go back on the programme after she turned down her supervisor's sexual advances.

The Clarendon woman, who asked for anonymity, said that while she was on the programme a couple of years ago, working at a seafood processor, she told her supervisor that she would love to come back, and asked what she needs to do to ensure she can get a recall.

"Him say you don't know what you need to do to come back," the woman said. "I said work good and behave myself, and him asked me what else. So I said to him, I don't know, what else. Him say to give him some sex, and I say that if that's what it takes, then I don't want to come back."

The woman told THE STAR that she was not called back by the employer the following year, and she believes it was because she didn't have sex with the supervisor.

"The supervisor who works with us is responsible for telling the bigger boss how we work, so you see how it go," the woman explained.

Carlton Anderson, chief head officer at the Jamaican Liaison Services in Canada, which represents Jamaicans on the farm work programme, told THE STAR that the Canadian government prohibits them from representing persons who work outside of the farm work programme.

"Because Jamaicans come on it and because we are Jamaicans, generally, it is expected that we would be acting on their behalf, but the government of Canada insists that the programme is a distinct programme from our programme, and we have no representational rights for those people on that programme," Anderson said.

He explained that in the lower skilled programme there is a direct agreement between the employer and the employee.

"The Ministry of Labour approves persons when they apply, but it is an agreement between the employer and the employee," Anderson said.

Now without a job, the 48-year-old woman said that she has not been able to secure employment in Jamaica since she has been back.

"Because mi nuh give him (supervisor) likkle sex, mi can't go work, and I can't support my son now," she told THE STAR.