CALGARY — Fraud charges against a Calgary woman who headed a group for foreign workers have the Alberta Federation of Labour calling on the government to scrap the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

"There is a clear and obvious lack of oversight of the TFW program that can lead to appalling abuse of workers," AFL president Gil McGowan said Tuesday.

"The TFW program isn't working for foreign workers, it isn't working for Alberta workers and it isn't working for employers. It's time to admit the program is a failure and replace it with real immigration."

McGowan pointed out that Auditor-General Sheila Fraser panned the program in her 2009 report, saying there has been no systematic follow-up to ensure employers are complying with the terms under which the Labour Mobility Opinion application was approved, such as wages to be paid and accommodations to be provided.

Red Deer Advocate, Wedn., June 13, 2012