Amherst, N.S., pizzeria operator fined $126K for alleged temporary foreign worker program violations

A Nova Scotian pizzeria has been fined for alleged non-compliance with the temporary foreign worker program

A pizzeria operator in Amherst, N.S., has been fined $126,000 for alleged non-compliance with three sections of the temporary foreign worker program.

Freddie’s Pizza (whose legal business name is Amherst Pizza and Donair Limited) received the fine from the Government of Canada on Oct. 31. The decision includes a two-year ban from hiring temporary foreign workers.

Ayman Nasr said he took over the pizza store in July and that the investigation was connected to the previous operator. He also noted the Freddie’s Pizza franchise was not part of the investigation.

According to the government’s website, the previous pizzeria operator was found to have broken the law by hiring and recruiting employees in the “province or territory where the foreign national worked.”

The government also found the pay or working conditions did not match those listed in the offer of employment, or the job was not the same as what was listed in the offer.

The government further noted the pizzeria operator did not put in enough effort to ensure the workplace was free of physical, sexual, psychological or financial abuse.

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