Chinese miner launches human rights complaint

The company under fire for hiring Chinese miners as temporary foreign workers at its northern B.C. coal mine has fought back, threatening legal action against the federal government.

At the same time, one of its workers has filed a human rights complaint accusing the United Steelworkers Union of discrimination.

HD Mining distributed Huizhi Li's letter to the Canadian Human Rights Commission along with a letter putting the government on notice that the company may pursue claims for civil damages after federal ministers made public statements about the company.

The firm's Murray River coal mine near Tumbler Ridge has been criticized for hiring 201 temporary foreign workers in place of Canadians.

It's also facing a judicial review in which two unions are seeking to prevent the company from bringing more workers to Canada. Seventeen miners are already in B.C. and another 60 are expected to arrive this weekend.

Huizhi Li - a miner who may have arrived with HD Mining's first cohort of workers at the end of October - said in his human rights complaint that leaflets and website content produced by the United Steelworkers Union are likely to create contempt for Chinese people.

He said information posted to the union's website alleges Chinese miners will work for reduced wages and in substandard conditions, which denies Canadians opportunity to those jobs.

Steve Hunt, the union's western Canadian director, said the accusation is bizarre, because his union has been fighting for workers' rights.

Hunt pointed out the letter, dated Monday, was written on HD Mining letterhead, and said the union knew it would be only a matter of time before the company made racial accusations.

The Chinese miners are being offered anywhere from $84,000 to $113,000 a year, a compensation package that includes their wages, benefits, food and housing, according to HD spokeswoman Jody Shimkus.

Shimkus denied the company had any role in the complaint filed by Li, who she said was unavailable for an interview Thursday.

"This is an individual complaint, based on the ads the union had," she said. "The worker was concerned about the language in the ads."

Asked about Li's English proficiency, Shimkus said she doesn't know each miner's level of comprehension.

In October, the company said the Chinese workers would be taught roughly 100 English words, all related to safety.

Also Thursday, HD sent a pointed letter to the federal deputy minister of justice and deputy attorney general of Canada expressing concern over comments by two ministers that the company says are negatively influencing a federal-court case.

In the case, two unions are seeking an injunction to stop more workers from coming to B.C. and to eventually throw out HD's foreign worker permits altogether.

The company asserts it will be "vigorously defending the judicial review application" and will pursue claims for civil damages against "any party" that harms its reputation or financial interests respecting the Murray River coal mine.

(2012-12-14/vancouversun)