Two unions trying to block the hiring of Chinese workers for a new underground coal mine in northern B.C. have scored their first victory in federal court.
Justice Douglas Campbell has ruled in favour of the unions, granting them permission to fight for access to records that let up to 300 Chinese nationals into Canada on temporary visas.
Union lawyer Charles Gordon can now persuade the federal government – namely Human Resources Minister Diane Finley – to hand over those documents.
“We say that in order for us to proceed with this application which the court is clearly interested in hearing, we need to see those documents.”
A case management hearing is planned for Monday to determine whether the unions need to seek an injunction preventing 60 more workers from arriving from China. Nearly 20 are already here.
Finley has already announced a review of how HD Mining hired the workers.
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