A Red Deer couple who allegedly exploited temporary foreign workers at a Gasoline Alley hotel are facing more charges.
Corporate directors and married couple Varinder Sidhu, 49, and Ravinder Sidhu, 46, are charged with violations under Alberta’s Employment Standards.
Three businesses — Econo Lodge Inn and Suites, Holiday Liquor Store and Winks — have also been charged.
The charges follow a lengthy joint investigation by the RCMP and the province, beginning in June 2014, into the abuse complaints from seven temporary foreign workers who worked at the Econo Lodge Inn and Suites.
An Alberta Employment Standards news release says the provincial government agency determined that more than $83,000 in earnings was owed to the employees.
The employer subsequently paid the outstanding earnings plus more than $8,000 in Order of Officer fees, says the release. The employees have since found other work.
The maximum penalty for the offences is $100,000 for a corporation or $50,000 for an individual.
The employment standards charges include failure to comply with a notice to provide employment records, obstructing an officer in the exercise of their duty by advising employees not to co-operate and/or give false statements, falsifying employment records and giving false/misleading information to an investigating officer, and failure to keep employment records as required.
The Red Deer couple will next appear in Red Deer provincial court on June 30 to face three human trafficking charges each under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
Those charges include organizing the coming to Canada of one or more persons by means of abduction, fraud, deception or use or threat of force or coercion; employing a foreign national in a capacity in which the foreign national is not authorized to; and counselling, inducing, aiding or abetting or attempting to counsel, aid or abet any person — directly or indirectly — misrepresent or withhold material facts relating to a relevant matter that induces or could induce an error in the administration of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
The Sidhus were charged following a 10-month investigation by Calgary Federal Serious Organized Crime officers.
This is the second case since 2009 in which Employment Standards has pursued charges under the Employment Standards Code.
In November 2014, an employer was charged for alleged offences involving a 14-year-old worker.
That case is currently before the courts.
crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com