N.S. migrant workers will not immediately gain access to public health care

Nova Scotia Labour Minister Nolan Young is rejecting a recommendation to grant immediate access to public health care for migrant workers in the province.

A report released Wednesday by an advocacy group detailed harsh labour conditions faced by female migrant workers in the province and made a number of recommendations, including immediate access to public health care.

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The report also recommends granting migrant workers paid sick days and conducting more unannounced inspections of job sites.

Young told reporters that his department was reviewing the report and takes allegations of abuse very seriously.

However, he said that no one who comes to the province gets immediate access to the health system but instead has to go through a standard waiting period.

The minister says he encourages people to use an anonymous tip line to report any abuses at workplaces including those who employ temporary foreign workers.

The Centre for Migrant Worker Rights Nova Scotia produced the report.