Government misses pay-day for clean-up workers

| 20/12/2011

Nov 17 Island Cleanup Update -pic_0.jpg(CNS): At the end of last week’s roadside cleanup, many workers on the Christmas job scheme were left empty handed when government failed to make the pay-day. Police were called out in George Town on Friday evening after many of the temporary workers who had been given ten days work on the project turned up at the bank for their pay only to discover there was no cash for their labours. Cayman27 caught the disappointed and increasingly angry large group of workers and police on film. The workers were due to be paid on at 3pm on Friday afternoon but for at least the second time there were problems with government meeting the pay day.

According to government, the Christmas roadside cleanup is designed not only to spruce up the islands for the festive season but also to give local unemployed workers a chance to earn some cash for the holiday, especially given the recent tough times. Around 800 workers have been given only ten days work this year on the project, which was first funded by the UDP administration in 2009 to the tune of more than $1million.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Maybe Mckeeva didn't have enough money after the big ole dinner party he hosted!!! Oh well clean up crew, HOPE you know better next time! The truth of the matter is, NO ONE IN GOV'T GIVES A DAMN! And worse if yah didn't clean up their yard properly either! ;(

  2. Bushwacker says:

    This fiasco clearly highlights that these numskull’s that were elected have no clue whatsoever about running a Government with Fifty plus Thousand souls at sake much less a rather small exercise such as this clean-up effort. Their befuddling antics as “elected members” have caused them to become the laughing stock of the Cayman Islands, the region and now it appears the world. Imagine they are tasked to negotiate with tycoons such as Mr. Kenneth Dart and large conglomerates like CHEC, yet to reiterate they cannot even organize and operate correctly a rather minor operation such as this clean-up effort.

     

    Let’s break down how rather simply this exercise should have been.

     

    1. Mr. Ellio Solomon stated that the number of crews and their sizes had to be restricted due to these austere economic times (establishment of the number of crews and their sizes);
    2. Each crew was “managed” by a Foreman;
    3. Considering the effort, it is reasonable to say that every “worker” is a Contract employee;
    4. Every Crew’s Foreman should have register every individual at the commencement of the clean-up;
    5. Considering that these are Contract Employees their contracts are fixed for a limited period of time. Therefore it is not unreasonable to have all Crews start work at let’s 7:00 am and ending at 3:00 pm.

     

    Having completed all five (5) of the small and simple steps mentioned above at the commencement of this exercise. The Treasury could have easily commenced the creation of the pay cheques at the least by midweek of the contract period for their delivery at 3:30 pm on Friday.

     

    However, it appears that all of the “time-sheets” were only handed into the Treasury towards the end of the work day on Friday with expectation to have the hundreds of said cheques completed in a matter of a couple of hours.

     

    These new definitions for an inept and incompetent Gowermint could not tear their way out of a dripping wet paper bag! Considering the totality of blunders and their wastrel ways since taking office it is reasonableto say that this Territory cannot sustain another term of this churlish and numskull behavior. Dear God please help us all by enlightening the West Bay voters!

  3. MER says:

    This is serious stuff!!! The people who desperately need the help from Government are the one's who are getting only excuses! Mckeeva found $4 million to give to churches, excuse me but I did not hear of any church being effected by the economic meltdown!!!!

  4. LMAO says:

    That is what happens when you want to "help" the people and give them temporary jobs so they can earn a little Christmas cash BEFORE you confirm that you actually have money to pay them. 

    The Premier wants to viewed as some kind of "saviour" to theseislands and how he is bending over backward to help people but now he has egg on his face. 

  5. Anonymous says:

    " Government misses payday"? Are you serious. These workers expected to get their money on time, like they were told. Im sure a few days late may be nothing to you, but to them that don't have stable income its a lot. How can you manage to mess this up? Aren't you all the ones that planned it and had everything prepared?.. Nevermind..I guess not.

  6. Annnie Green Gables says:

    I am wondering what you people will say six months after you vote in a new government.  Lol   You people just cannot satisfy.

  7. Anonymous says:

    My word, some posters on here really have an axe.

    Its Treasury that prints the cheques, and i can imagine that generating / approving 200 cheques takes quite a while.

    Its funny how the ignorance of the locals is always highlighted for amuzement. Why didn't the TV / New Forums publish how good some workers are cleaning up the place – rather than focusing on a few rotten apples of the local populace that believe they can behave like animals whenever they dont get what they want?

    oh well.

    • Just Sayin says:

      You make it sound as though the Treasury has the authority to approve and print all cheques coming from the Government which I don't believe is the case, otherwise why would they have all those CFO's?

      Maybe the Ministry responsible for paying these people just didn't have the funds and therefore didn't approve the cheques to be printed.  

  8. Anonymous says:

    all the money spent on these clean ups could have been used to get them qualified for some sort of trade – plumber, construction worker, food & beverage server, bar tender, etc. etc. so that they could support themselves all year round.

  9. Knot S Smart says:

    Maybe Mac thought that they were his enthusiastic supporters who volunteered to clean up his island.

  10. Anonymous says:

    "According to government, the Christmas roadside cleanup is designed not only to spruce up the islands for the festive season but also to give local unemployed workers a chance to earn some cash for the holiday, especially given the recent tough times."

    Unlike many of the commenters here, I appreciate the hard work of the crews on-island, particularly in my own district, BT.  I just think its a crying shame that some genuinely unemployed locals turned up to work yet were turned away in favour of people who had no right being offered work with these crews.  And I am not talking gossip I talking fact – seen plenty people who already employed on them crews and an expat here on a 6 month work permit working with them too, and I have relatives and friends who turned up for work and were told there was no more room left.  Those people should be ashamed taking work away from people who genuinely need it, particularly at Christmas.  And then to add insult to injury the government don't get their act organised enough to pay these people too.

    Disgraceful.

    • Anonymous says:

      Some people are so pathetic! The so called workers who did'nt receive their cheques on friday afternoon, were those who showed up to work for a day or two and expected a full weeks pay. Their hours and cheques had to be adjusted, maybe that is something Government should look into and get rid of all those on their payroll who sit idle all month, until payday, full of energy, running to the bank and taking care of personal business. CIVIL SERVICE FULL OF THEM! GET RID OF THEM, WOULD SAVE THE COUNTRY ALOT OF CASH!

  11. Anonymous says:

    What's ironic is the Gowerment reinstated CS 3% this month and couldn't pony up the dough to pay these ppl who were actually working. McKweewa you see what you gone done now? Stirred the shit and made it stinker! If I could get away with it I might spontaneously vomit on his shoes the next time I see him.

  12. Anonymous says:

    Given their behaviour, you can understand why of them are unemployed.

    • Anonymous says:

      Correction. Given the behaviour of the minority of Caymanians, the marjoity of Caymanians suffer.

  13. Anonymous says:

    Super Dart to bail us out again!

    Where did the Lunch come from? I was hoping maybe the Church in each district as the clean mover around could give a little back.

    • Knot S Smart says:

      You expect to get lunch from the churches?

      They are here to eat your lunch. You see those expensive cars the ministers drive?

      • Anonymous says:

        Not every minister, but most of the false prophets that are predicting dooms day.  Frightening their congregations into putting more money in the collection plates, so they can live the large life.  False Prophets.

      • Anonnymous says:

        Guess you don't know about the church(es) whose members maintain a pantry and consistently give food to the needy, not only at Christmas. You really shouldn't generalize.  Your moniker fits you to a 'T'.

      • FBB says:

        That is quite an unfair comment to make about 'the expensive cars' that the ministers drive. 

        People always seem to assume that because someone is a pastor or a minister and if they live in a 'nice' house or a drive a 'nice' car they are robbing people.

        Do they ever stop to think that the minister/pastor is getting paid a salary from the church, sometimes a lot less than most people think and that they have taken out a mortgage/car loan just like every one else and is paying that. 

        It saddens me to hear how a lot of the people here always tearing down other people without  any facts to support their accusations. There are a lot of "haters" here for an island who calls itself  "a christian community". 

        Judge not less you be judged. Now with that said to all those ministers/pastors out there who are just taking the collection money for their own personal gratification, shame on you but God will deal with you accordingly.  

         

    • Anonymous says:

      More to Come get rid of the Government

  14. Anonymous says:

    Yes that's the truth everybody was running around on Saturday morning from CNB to the MLA office at the four way stop looking for their monies.

    Also, it was said that the organizers would deduct CI$10.00 a day for lunch for the workers and the workers had to end up throwing the food away as it was not even cooked properly and raw most of the time.

    The organizers are having different people cook lunch at their home for the workers I wonder if Environment Health checked on the kitchens where they are cooking to see if it is healthy to sell food. How does Environmental Health let them get away with it. 

    • Anonymous says:

      The clean-up crew had very little or nothing to do in my area.  The frons cut from a tree were left on the the side of the road, while some took turns resting in a sand hole, and others smoking or drinking white rum.  What a disgrace.  Taxpayers money handed out to the not so ambitious. 

      It took 12 to 15 to stand motionless around one person holding an garbage bag.  These were only a few of the incidences/happenings witnessed in the neighbourhoods or on the roads.  They need help but they don''t need work.  By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread.  Stop encouraging laziness, give them the tools to work and encouragement to improve and move upward. 

      Check the side roads and see how much litter is still left behind.  Good job.  Raise their pay.

  15. Anonymous says:

    Ellio was busy negotiating with CHEC so he will personally hand over the cheques and remind them of whom they have to thank at a later date.

  16. Anonymous says:

    Yep – that sounds like our current government. Incompetent, unorganized, selfish and arrogant!

  17. Anonymous says:

    I guess Ellio has moved on to the "Dock" spotlight and no longer wanting to play hero handing out the Friday cheques as he did in the past. Watch out CG he may influence the premiere for you to take up that role!

  18. Anonymous says:

    Typical of the McKeeva Bush government.  Lots of hot air.  No real benefit to Caymanians.

     

  19. Anonymous says:

    How typical of our Government. Champagne taste with only beer money to spend. Sad and disgusting how our Government behaves especially at Christmas.

    I ran into a few of the workers at the bank on Saturday. The bank had to open up an "express" line for them, I guess to try and ease the tension. That was the most alert I've ever seen the security guards. The was all very professional.