Indo-Canadian politician clears air on job ad
Wednesday, 12/08/2015
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
TORONTO: An Indo-Canadian politician has come out with a clarification over a job posting by her party that allegedly offered lower wages to Punjabispeaking callers than their English-speaking counterparts, said a media report.
India-born Jinny Sims’ New Democratic Party (NDP) had come under criticism after the ad on classified advertisements website Craigslist, placed by Express Employment Professionals, offering merely $13 per hour to Punjabi-speaking callers while the party was paying $17 an hour for Englishspeaking canvassers, Canadabased The VOICE reported.
Sims, who represents the electoral district of SurreyNewton in the Canadian House of Commons, blamed the subcontractor for the discrepancy.
“The NDP contracted with a company called Stratcom, who in turn subcontracted with a job agency to recruit two (canvassers). We did not know about the subcontractor. However, when Stratcom learned the (canvassers) were paid less than $17 per hour, their salaries were immediately topped up,” Sims was quoted as saying in a statement.
“Contrary to spin by the Liberals and Conservative, the subcontractor pays exactly the same rate to all of its (canvassers), which is $17,” she added. Sims was elected in the 2011 election. She migrated from India to England at the age of nine. Sims moved to Canada in 1975.
