The Cuban government is compelling Cuban workers based in Canada to remit a significant portion of their earnings from their Canadian jobs, as reported by two former employees who disclosed this to CBC News. These workers also revealed that the Cuban Communist Party mandates them to participate in “political-ideological workshops,” disclose interactions with Canadian counterparts, restrict their movements, and supervise their relationships beyond the workplace.
Similar incidents of wage confiscation by the Cuban government have been reported in various countries, including Brazil, where Cuban doctors raised concerns leading to a legal case that criticized the practice as akin to “slave labor.” In Canada, around six Cuban professionals are employed at a cobalt and nickel refinery, a joint venture between Cuba’s state nickel company and Canada’s Sherritt International in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. Additionally, approximately four Cuban workers are engaged in another Sherritt-Cuba Niquel joint venture in Nassau, Bahamas, where they collaborate with Canadian colleagues, receive payment in Canadian currency, and face wage confiscation.
Both former employees interviewed by CBC News asserted that wage confiscation of Cuban workers dispatched overseas has been a customary practice for several years. While Canadian officials assured that all workers in the country are safeguarded by labor laws, the former workers highlighted that raising complaints poses significant risks for Cuban employees due to potential repercussions.
Operating for over three decades, the partnership between Sherritt and the Cuban government involves mining operations in Moa, Cuba, with ores transported to Alberta for refining. To safeguard the identities of the Cuban workers and their families in Cuba, CBC News has withheld their names. Cuban-born researcher Maria Werlau has extensively documented instances of wage confiscation by the Cuban government during medical missions in several countries.
The Cuban workers involved in Sherritt’s operations outside Cuba are rigorously vetted for loyalty to the government, as affirmed by a former employee managing international sales for Sherritt in Nassau. These coveted positions offer higher wages than those attainable in Cuba, where earning three dollars a day is considered above average. The former employees expressed that fear of being repatriated back to Cuba serves as a deterrent for dissent among workers.
Despite facing challenges in making ends meet, including reliance on garage sales and food banks, the Cuban workers emphasized that they earn significantly more than they would in Cuba. They outlined restrictions imposed by the Cuban government on forming relationships with Canadian colleagues and accessing external information.
The former workers clarified that Sherritt International Corporation was not complicit in the wage confiscation scheme enforced by the Cuban government. Sherritt’s corporate affairs director emphasized the company’s adherence to Canadian and local regulations. The Cuban authorities and embassy in Canada did not provide comments in response to CBC News’ inquiries.
While the Canadian system grants protections to foreign workers, the workers highlighted the need for increased awareness and intervention from the federal government regarding the challenges faced by Cuban workers in the joint ventures. Authorities assured that complaints are taken seriously, and mechanisms exist to address concerns raised by foreign workers in Canada.
