On May 14, the Director General for North America from Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ana Luisa Fájer Flores, visited Dutchmaster Nurseries LTD, accompanied by Consul General Mauricio Toussaint; Tadeo Berjón Molinares, who is responsible for Protection and for the Canada-Mexico Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) at the Consulate General; and Ramiro Navarro Maldonado from the SAWP office.
The visit included a presentation for the SAWP workers at Dutchmaster Nurseries on their rights and responsibilities, details about their various types of insurance coverage and the benefits to which they are entitled through their contributions to the Pension Plan and Employment Insurance. The officials also answered questions raised by the workers.
The delegation emphasized the Consulate's role as the guardian of the workers' rights, as well as the importance of notifying the Consulate in the event of any incident.
The delegation then toured the farm buildings and verified that the workers' housing and work sites were in good condition.
This visit reflects the Consulate General's standard practice of visiting SAWP work sites as part of its duties to protect SAWP workers. These visits include information for workers about the various types of coverage in place for their wellbeing, the inspection of the workers' housing and working conditions, and a meeting with the employer to discuss any issues that have arisen.
In the afternoon following the farm visit, the Director General for North America, accompanied by Gonzalo Canseco Gómez, Director General of Foreign Policy Planning and Damián Martínez Tagüeña, Coordinator of Advisors for the Undersecretary for North America, both from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with consular officials at the Consulate General. They discussed a range of topics related to each department represented at the meeting.