Cash found for immigration
(CNS): Premier Alden McLaughlin has confirmed that money has been found in the forthcoming budget to fund the changes at the immigration department which, will see an increased headcount to both process permits more quickly and enforce the law. Over the last week or so the premier has been doing the media rounds talking about the need to replace the boards, ensure employers are compliant and to generally fix a system which has failed to safeguard Caymanians in the workplace. With almost 20,500 foreign workers in Cayman but an estimated 2000 plus Caymanians out of and looking for work, it is increasingly apparent that things have gone awry when it comes to prioritising local labour.
Despite facing controversies over his decision to lift the seven year rollover, which will allow some 1500 holders of temporary exemption permits to stay in Caymanand apply for permanent residency, McLaughlin has promised more scrutiny of work permits and employer compliance.
“The real challenge for immigration has been that it has not had the resources to check that employers are compliant,” he said last week, adding that it was now abundantly clear that permits were being granted when they shouldn’t be. “I believe we can significantly improve the process to assist both employers and local people.”
He explained that with so many people on work permits, it has not been possible for the immigration department with its current staffing levels to check them all and to ensure the conditions under which the permits were granted reflect the reality of the employment situation.
“The system has not worked for years,” the premier said, adding that for as long as he could remember local people have complained about jobs going to foreigners and not Caymanians.
While promising more due diligence, the premier has also warned that government cannot send the wrong signals with the process of reform as the business community has to be confident that it can still recruit the talent it needs to keep the economy going.
“We need to be careful as we are dependent on foreign labour and we can’t be anti-foreign but we are keen to send a message that the review of the immigration system will be fair to Caymanians. We will do best to ensure where a Caymanian is willing and able they will get work,” McLaughlin stated.
With government’s planned reform in two stages, it is beginning with the removal of rollover and dealing with the Term limit extension permit holders (TLEPs) in conjunction with the revamping and tightening of the point system for granting permanent residency. While all of the TELPS will now be able to apply for PR, McLaughlin made it clear that they will not all get it and will still need to leave the island if they are refused. Government is expected to have made these necessary policy and legislative changes by October.
The second phase will be in April when the broader issues of the immigration system will be addressed and when the government will also look at whether its foreign workers should be part of the wider immigration regime as the most recent work conducted by the last immigration review team headed up by Sherri Bodden-Cowan recommendedthat they should be treated in the same way as work permit holders.
With the community concerns about the removal of rollover undermining Caymanian opportunities in the work force, speaking on rooster’s Crosstalk recently Bodden- Cowan emphasised once again that the policy was never intended as a mechanism to get Caymanians employed but to prevent every person who comes to islands getting Cayman status. Both Bodden-Cowan and McLaughlin have been at pains to point out that the rollover issue is separate and apart from the issue of employing local people.
See the latest immigration figures here:
Category: Local News
Let’s root out criminals Mr. Alden, install the finger printing system!
Braca
People young and old, friend or foe, immigrant or native, this is all about the money. The money gained from permits, which has helped sustain the budget by a thread for some time, its about those imerchants who sponsored the right for the Merchant class to rule again via their vote, their money and influence, its about who who knows you and to pot with the local population.
How long ill it take and what sacrifices we have to make for laders with true heart, true grit and spirit and cannot be bought principles to arise. Will it be prior to 2017 or will it be when we are breathing our last breath while scambling for the straw to hold on, and then there wont be And Another Thing.
Some people don't get that to bring employment for those only marginally employable, meaning beyond those whose work ethic and capabilities have provided a job already, Cayman has to seriously grow the economy, and that means growing private sector business NOT the government. People keep talking sh!t that does just the opposite! Screw the expat, screw the foreign investor, up the fees for businesses, increase the CS payroll, and chase off the experienced senior business people who (god forbid) might try to stay here longer doing that business they keep doing!
Cayman has already taken serious steps to tell foreigners to xxxx off and stay xxxxed off, and it sure seems to make the public happy hearing about all that on the radio, but then businesses close and the economy contracts and jobs go away and unemployment goes through the roof. OK, everyone happy now? Alden is acknowledging that the whole idea was stupid in the first place, and he's doing at least something about it.
That"s the ticket Alden. Put more pressure on the employers to make sure THEY scrutinise employees before giving away jobs that should go to Caymanians to work permit holders. Put the screws to them to make sure they are "compliant" no matter the cost. We dont need no stinking "rollover polocy". All them Caymanians waiting 7 years to take jobs they are not qualified for can easily wait another 2 measley years. They obviously dont need any job anyway, they survived without starving for 7 years without one. Thumbs up or thumbs down, either way you agree with me.
Our illustrious Premier/government has found money to hire staff to keep work permit holders in their jobs while Caymanians continue to struggle. He's asking for trouble.
Alden, the new McKeeva…Green and blue is out Red is in ..same sh#t, different day!! What is the difference except for numbers in what Mckeeva did with the status grants and what Alden is doing with the TLEP's. They will both go down in history for disenfranchising their own Caymanians.
the mythology of caymanian unemplyment continues……
Where did he find the cash? Also, what about the unfunded pensions and health care liabilities?
Maybe from the surplus!
They could be largely paid for if Immigration actually collected what was really due to it, and stopped giving permits to the 620 businesses that are still not compliant with the pensions law, and owe millions to thousands of workers.
He must have got it from under his pillow.
Last week when I flew back home on American Airlines, I walked int o the immigration hall to find a line of people from another flight in the visitors line but no agent in the "Caymanians" Line so I stood in the visitors line. When I got up to the counter I ask the Immigration officer if they weren't expecting any Caymanians today and she wuickly replied, "not really they are just having a meeting." Wow!! Unbelievable!!! Flights arrive within 3 hours every evening normally between noon and 3pm. Do you mean to tell me that they couldn't wait to have a staff meeting until after the flights were in. This is why the civil service is so inefficient. There is no proper controls and these people have too much time on there hands. Why not have these officers do something else while the flights are not coming in particulalry ifthey don't think it is necessary to have full staff during flight arrival.
There is not a country in the world except Cayman where its citizens are not expedited through immigration. Why not just become more efficient instead of bloating up the civil service anymore.
You miss the point that many people in the Caymanian line are not Caymanian and have no right to live or work in the Cayman Islands. They just happen to have BOTC passports. And anyway, I would much prefer we roll out the red carpet for our investors and visitors. I would much rather wait and see them dealt with effectively, than be waived through and have them dealt with like cattle.
Try Canada. Canadians, permanent residents and visitors – all in the same line, my friend. And your point is just wrong anyway – Caymanians are meant to be expedited through immigration here – its just that the Caymanian immigration officers on duty that day had something to do that they thought more important. Cannot say from that one instance that Cayman does not expedite its citizens through immigration as a general rule – they usually do (HINT thats why there was a separate desk in the first place).
Cayman has no citizens, so your entire premise is wrong.
Sure Alden, this is the solution, add a bunch more people to the civil service.. tax us some more to pay what we cant pay already because we are unemployed…
Here's my solution, start by sending the 1500 TLEP's home first and then figure out whether or not we can streamline the immigration department to multi task and do more than one thing..
Send the workers packing and and then make a disfunktional government take up the slack? Thats the Caymanian solution? Cayman would go from a country where nothing works right to a country where nothing works at all.
A money saving measure for Gov't would be to have ALL CS workers pay pension and health insurance. I'm always baffled when they complain about CINICO and having to go to GT hospital for their poor service when they are not pying a dime towards the so called wutless health insurance from Cinico. CS workers have it so easy in many regards compared to Private Sector workers.
Caymanian
I work in the Fund Admin Business and i can assure you it completely boggles my mind to see expats who are employed based on excellent reumes but know absolutely nothing about the occupation. But still they are trained (most of the time by myself) of which i have no quams, i cannot figure out why locals are not getting the same opportunity and would like to see that change. They claim they have all this experience and are knowledgable in this and that but in turn have to be spoon fed on how to perform the task intrusted to them.
You come, you work and you go home – a temporary "work permit" means exactly that! It does not translate magically into status! People who talk about Cayman being anti expat should realize that Cayman is one of the very few Caribbean countries that has to FORCE expats to leave when there time is up. i.e (rollover policy) – I voted for you Alden and PPM and helped influence alot of people in favor of your team but i would suggest they go against you on this issue as this will over shadow your tenure and all who share these views with you!
Like Big MAC was the sole survivor of his regime, Kurt Tibbetts will be the sole survivor of your's. Of all the issues facing Cayman, you and the PPM choose to focus on Immagration SMH! Your focus should have been to enforce the roll over. This is why teens and young men are out there robbing and stealing and soon there focus will be upon those they feel are stealing there dreams and selling to forgeiners. I leave you with this thought – Why is it that a 30 yr old forgein lady is walking around handing out mail and re stocking machines with paper? Isn't thatsomething a school leaver should be doing?
Please read!
Stopped readings at "quams".
Teens and young men are robbing and stealing because of the lack of rollover enforement? Absolutely rediculous statement. Do you really believe that criminals and hoods who victimise the population would somehow magically revert into model citizens if only they had been *sniff* given a chance. Maybe you'd like to blame it on their childhood. Well my childhood wasn't so rosy either, Sunshine, but I work my tail off and have done so since before I graduated High School. I work to get what I need for myself and my family. Yes, there have been jobs I was qualified for and did not get. More often that not, they were given to underqualified Caymanians than expats. I was born here, and here I'll die. Criminals are lazy cowards and that's probably all they will ever amount to, regardless of opportunities presented. Choice.
How about enforcement of the people that are pulling permits for workers such as car washers or domestic helpers and even construction workers…but there are no such jobs and these people are granted a work permit then stay in our country and STILL have to LOOK for work to feed themselves and their families back home.
I personally know of 3 women and a man who has a trade license for a construction company but doesnt really operate a company… (all Caymanian or status holders) who have pulled a few permits each for a car washer, a helper etc. Why? Not because they need that person, but because in addition to the fee for the permit they have to pay Immigration for, they get paid by these people to pull their permit! One helper paid one woman $150 to get her a permit. And this helper now has a permit good for 2 years and she calls around and goes around all the time looking days work or a week here or there.
These dishonest people are also helping our immigration system become an EPIC FAIL.
Remember when there used to be LOTS of men hanging around the Eastern Avenue Texaco waiting for someone to come up looking a day worker? You dont have to remember any more, go by RUBIS on Eastern Avenue at 7:30 or 8 am during the week and see the men there waiting for someone who needs a day worker. Enforcement needs to go there and find out who their employers are and CANCEL their permits and ARREST the person that pulled the permit under false pretenses.
Just another reason why the system FAILS. Its not only the workers who need to be looked at but the actual people pulling the permits for workers because those dishonest people are making money by charging $100, $200, $500 for each permit they pull. And there is another contruction company who has lots of skilled workers whose permits are $1000-$2000 each, and he makes THEM pay for their own permit. ALL his workers. And everyone hired by him knows that they have to pay their renewal fees etc and they just do it because they want the work and their boss has done it for YEARSSSSS.
Who is looking at this? Anyone? I reported it and nothing was done EVER….and so it shall continue.
Ehm….I think that is what the Premier is saying!: He's putting money aside for enforcement! Duh!
@12:41 Didn't the AG or some top cig Official, advise the Immigration officers that it was entrapment when the officers went to places like Eastern avenue and tried to enforce the law??
Will do some researchor if anyone has the the information pls confirm… but if my memory is right think that was the reason used and seems to have worked.
Caymanians perpetuated the rise in bogus work permits by feeling compelled to 'help out' poor friend of a friend of a friend, so they could BE here to LOOK for a job. There needs to be hefty fines for such fraudulent activity. What a mess boy, no wonder the politicians feel they can lie to all Caymanians and do as they wish to help secure work permits holders.
Caymanians who don't care about ethical behaviour keep seeing it practised all around so reap what you sow I guess.
Really is too bad the innocent Caymanians and genuine work permit holders have to suffer because of those who don't care.
Jamaicans helping Jamaicans, the English the English, the Americans the Americans. Anyone looking out for us?
nope.
Do we look out for ourselves; we are not even helping our own parents and grandparents.
Immigration enforcement is a SHAM
Be careful what you are saying and know your facts; my husband along with three of his work collegues go to RUBIS, Eastern Avenue every morning between the times you mentioned to be picked up by their legitimate boss and transported to their assigned site. And I know a few of those men, who work for other companies that are picked up there also; so before you go and post negative statements, ensure what you are saying is 100% accurate.
You see how we Caymanians operate, we get upset when expat used the one brush and paint us all lazy, but here you are doing the same to those men (most) of who are waiting on their legitimate boss to be picked up, just because you might have heard someone saying it is happening and you probably dont even have proof, or because a few might be doing it you are qucik to say all the men.
Old time saying "throw a stone in a pig sty; pig that sqeals is the one that got hit" I am that pig, causing you are saying that the men waiting by RUBIS Eastern Ave dont have legitmate boss and I know that what you are saying is not so.
Just so there is no doubt: every one of those status recipients doing that are committing a crime made possible or facilitated by the grant to them. The Law clearly provides that that is grounds to revoke their status and deport them, EVEN if it is a cabinet grant. It is up to the Cabinet to do it! You guys serious about enforcement? Over to you. Otherwise you are the problem not the solution! Enforce our laws!
I had to deal with immigration people on Elgin avenue twice and witnessed their inefficiency and total disregard to the waiting crowd. When I was there, the staff was merrily engaged into personal conversations with each other , and they did not even try to hide that. When they actually got to serve a person, they were like sleeping flies in a hot afternoon. I noticed that people who were served by male staff, were out of the office pretty fast. For a comparison I should mention ladies at Department of Motor Vehicle in West Bay. While not of them demonstrate friendliness (at least not when I visited), they were very efficient and the line moved very fast.
There is a huge elephant in the room that no one sees.
The Civil Service employs some 6,000 people, mainly Caymanians. Hundreds of those Civil Servants are operating private businesses on the side.
So, quite apart from lost productivity in relation to their official day jobs (which the taxpayers are paying for) these Civil Servants are competing directly against Caymanian small business owners.
Of course, nothing will ever be done to remedy this problem because the Civil Service is also the largest block of voters.
I know one such a man who is employed by CIG, XXXX. He runs a car repair business on a side. He fixes professional expats’ cars. But he is so busy, I guess, that he doesn't even have time to check on those repairs, which he allegedly doing himself, but in reality delegates to someone else. And if they miss something and you later discover it, he would not return the money. He does it to women. And he will lie straight to your face. Which church does he go?
And of course he is a Caymanian is he not?
You forgot to add that those CS employees who are "moon lighting" or own businesses also employ foreign workers…..why? Cheap labour and they do not want others knowing what they are doing on the side.
Thank you Mr. McLaughlin for finding the funding to increase the capacity for enforcement! This is LONG overdue and if we had proper enforcement from years ago we might not be in the position that we now find ourselves.
Enforcement will only be relevant if we will see a law firm partner or bank manager arrested for fraud on failing to disclose known Caymanians for positions when applying for permits.
Enforcement will only be relevant if we see you yank a cabinet status grant where the recipient has engaged in fronting and stealing pension funds from their employees.
Enforcement will only be relevant if we see an example made of a born Caymanian requiring the worlds poor to pay them for their permits, and abusing their employees.
Enforcement which involves only rounding up the "usual suspects" (read Jamaican Labourers) is not going to cut it anymore.
Let us give them a chance to show us what they mean by enforcement.
Ok. 99 days. Go.
98, and counting.
97, and counting.
94….
88….
84…
I think we should make unemployed the current immigration officers so that they're forced to work at the Burger King's and Island taste which they frequently can be seen eating on their "breaks" instead of handling their job. Then put some REAL unemployed Caymanians in those positions (because I don't believe that all of them that are "looking" are actually looking and REALLY want jobs or aren't being reasonable when it comes to the opportunities presented to themselves). The rollover is also NOT hardly the reason we have unemployed Caymanians. I do think immigration barriers need to be in place but this isn't the reason our people are out of work. If there were more people actually enforcing the fact that Caymanians should have highest priority in getting a job that they are truly qualified for our system would be far less flawed. That being said…we need to make sure we ARE truly qualified – on paper and with customer service. Nobody wants a lazy, almost-qualified, zero experience, zero ambition self-entitled employee and a work permit fee is not that much to ensure this is avoided. I am a young Caymanian by the way. And I had no issues finding a job. It's a tough market everywhere. Get over it. Get over yourself. Make your life WORK and stop blaming other people!
You're telling us there's about 20,500 foreign workers in Cayman. With some 57,500 Caymanians living here and allowing that 70% of those are of working age, that would be about 14,350 Caymanians who are working or could be working if they wanted to work and they could find jobs. Both Bodden-Cowan and McLaughlin have been at pains to point out that the rollover issue is separate and apart from the issue of employing local people. Should it be?
There are 57,500 Caymanians?
There will be by thge time Alden is finished with this madness is a couple of years time.
Yes. See for yourself at: https://www.google.com/search?q=cayman+islands+population&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
If Alden removes the roll-over I will NEVER vote for him or PPM again. I can't get a job in my field but I see companies bringing in expats every day. Enough is enough.
Unemployed Caymanian
What do you need a job in your field for? Plant something, grow it and sell it! Easy, one less unemployed person to deal with.
And your field is what? A manager of anything so I can tell other people to do my work while I BBM.
Premier McLaughlin, removing the roll-over is a bad idea and is anti-Caymanian.
What is going to be happening with the next group of people heading towards rollover? Are we then letting them slip through as well? Where is it going to end? At 10,000, 20,000, 30,000 people? Where?
If I were someone who is coming up to the rollover in the next few years and my term limit was't going to be extended, I would sue the Government cause if they are doing it this time around, they are setting a precedence……….
Roll over doesn't create jobs for Caymanians and removal of Roll over won't take any away. All Work Permits have to be advertised every year and Caymanians have the opportunity to apply. That's the system, with or without Roll over. If no Caymanian is qualified for the job, a work permit will be applied for. It really doesnt matter if the permit is for someone that's been here for 7 years, or someone being brought in fresh. A permit is a permit, Roll over has very little to do with Caymanian unemployment.
very well said…this post should be read out every morning on rooster!
If there is never any apprenticeship in our economy, pray tell, how does a Caymanian get qualified?
Anon 1749 I cant agree with you.
If you have a certain number of jobs in a country and those jobs are taken by expats (Yes more qualified), then they simply are not available for a period of time. If you have Caymanians who obtain the necessary qualifications for a position at that time then the job is simple not available. Lets hope we dont get to a point where some of these believe that you can just fire an expat to create the room. You must wait until that position has to be advertised once more.
One of the arguements for the expats is that they create other jobs by buying into the country and start their own business. Problem it is not happening fast enough and in a lot of cases you still dont hire caymanians or must they have a bachelors to work in a store?
I disagree, it has everything to do with Permanent Residence then no need for work permit then Status then no need for work permit. It sure does have everything to do with Caymanians getting a fair opportunity for a job in their own island.
While I don't disagree with your main point, the fact of the matter is that most employers put the ad in the paper then don't respond to any resumes or say that the position has been filled….s while placing the ad is mandatory…and is physical evidence that you abided by the law if the issue was ever to be raised in the future…there's no one checking that these ads are placed with the intention they are meant for.
Forcing companies to hire people who they clearly do not want for whatever reason, just gives the company more reason to think about moving operations elsewhere.
I have spoken to friends who have been burned by local hires, and now are prepared to pay the extra to get expats on permits. That way they do have to hire locals who only show up to work until pay day and then are nowhere to be seen for days on end. Working hard and starting on time should be the first priority, not what's for breakfast and I hope they have the coffee machine ready for me.
I also think that the culture of the Cayman youth needs to be changed at ground level, they go through school being told they can be whatever they want to be. Which is fine but they are never told that they must start at the bottom and work hard to make there way to the top, in the same way that everyone else has done.
Can we please leave the stupid generalization alone? The way you are writing leaves the impression that all Caymanians are useless when it comes to work. Clearly this is not the case and there are people with poor work ethics in all countries.
I am also sick and tired of hearing about the business being forced to hire someone they don't want, which is clearly not the case. The problem is that too many businesses don't even bother to attempt and hire anyone local cause they like the control they have over a permit holder – not pay pension, healthcare, overtime etc cause they know they can get away with it.
Frankly, Cayman is the only place I ever lived where the Government seems to be constantly intimidated by the businesses and lets them dictate what the laws should be. What is the point tohave laws in places if they are not being upheld and enforced and changed constantly to satisfy someone else?
Biggest BS response to a comment ever.
It's a valid point, employers do generalise when they have been burned by a few locals. They get to the point where they are thinking "I'm not hiring a Caymanian, all the ones I have tried to employ have done blah blah blah" then it ruins it for the rest of the Caymanian people.
Commenters may be generalising, but so are the employers after one or more bad experiences with local hires. Believe it or not even hiring a Caymanian is expensive, and when you then have to let them go and find someone else it's hassle. That's another good reason why businesses like to hire outside the local workforce. I can garuantee that even other locals who want to make money do not hire locally.
I have two young Caymanians working for me, and if I do finally get them to turn up (And on time) it doesn't help much because they spend all days sat on their a$$ texting or BBMing. I may as well hire a single ex-pat who will work and do both of their jobs, that would bring down my labour force, improve productivity, and increase profitability. Is there a good reason for me not to do that? Apart from being told by the goverment that I have to hire locally? I don't like casting aspersions on my people, but today's youth are not at all interested in working for their money.
It's hard to blame the expats for doing what our youth refuse to… WORK!
It is your business…. fire their lazy asses and get two productive Caymanians to do their jobs. They obviously do not have important nor highly skilled jobs, so any Caymanian that fits your criteria of showing up for work each day and no BBMing, will obviously do, as you show by continueing to hire them. I suspect you are only keeping them on your payroll so that you can say you hire Caymanians, so as to justify your other work permits, and, of course so that you can say that ALL Caymanians are lazy, cant get to work on time and are BBMing on the job!
If you are an exempted company with all your clients overseas, you make a fair point.
If you are a business engaged in the local economy, you are incredibly arrogant to think you should be free to hire anyone on earth over capable local people.
What about installing a finger printing system Mr.Alden!
This is a load of hog wash! IMO, expat workers and employers alike, are fully aware of the 7 years term limit. When it expires, it's time to leave – this should not be changed. The island is small and can not accomodate everyone, their granny, kids, husbands and wives. In addition to that, we have endured a lot of bashing by expats. I.e. I was on a flight back from vacation this summer and the man seated infront of me was telling a tourist Cayman is the worst island he's ever worked in. Too expensive, stupid locals etc…. yet his ass made sure to be seated on that flight to chase our dollar! I'm not anti expat but if you're gonna come here and complain about our ppl, culture and make comparisons to your home country then go back to your home and stay there and if your country is so great why are you here and wanting extended time so you can stay even longer? The sole reason can't be the money when you also complain about our cost of living.
I totally agree and have experienced and oveheard the same things, and I am not even Caymanian but was equally offended!
Why do we bother with laws if at the end of the day they don't mean anything?
When it comes to nothaving enought resources, this seems to be the excuse used for everything in Government. It doesn't matter how much resources you throw at the problem when too many people on the boards and within the dept dish out favors.
Why can't there be a unit that conducts unanounced audits at various business to confirm whether they employee for which they have a permit has full time work with that employer, that all benefits are paid etc.
All immigration needs to do is log on to ecay trade and see how many people who are clearly not Caymanians are looking for jobs! Why are they here if they don't have a job? Why?
The only thing stopping unemployed Caymanians from getting jobs that foreigners have is their pride and work ethic.
I, a Caymanian, can even say that most young people unemployed would never take a job opening at a gas station, or a fast food restaurant for example. How many desperately unemployed Caymanians do you see applying or working entry-level jobs anymore? Hardly any! We need to cleanse ourselves of this sense of entitlement to a 60k salary and learn to accept that to make it to the top, you must start from the bottom. Yes, it sucks but don't complain about there being no jobs when some Caymanians won't swallow their own pride for a job they're afraid their friends will laugh at them for doing.
You left out corruption and the entitlement some businesses have to operate in flagrant disregard of our laws.
BS I say…. I am qualified with a great CV and excellent references in the white collar business accounting world. I have experience from overseas too and I can tell you that NONE of the recruiters want to place me. WHY? Because they do not get paid as much on local hires (no WP fees or relocation costs to add onto placement fee) and if I get the job I deserve, then their chance of filling it again in the future goes down. HR Managers ignore local CVs too, it is a real shame.
There are a lot of hard working college educated Caymanians out of work and we have excellent references too! however, the NWDA, Business Staffing Board, and Immigration Enforcement are useless. Unless you know someone in politics, forget it. Big business likes expats and we remain…. At the glass front door!
Accountant and Unemployed
…and discrimination against Caymanian employees.
"…..where a Caymanian is willing and able, they will get work". Good. Now let us see how many willing (to work the established hours) AND able (to actually do the job) ones are still out there not already employed.
It is not only about unemployment. How many excellent Caymanians are held back from promotion or bullied until they quit?
None
Wrong. 7 in one office alone.
More civil servants meaning more money on salaries plus pension plus healthcare. I hope someone is keeping a careful record of all these increases and the reasons for them so they are not blamed on something that has nothing to do with the increase in the size of the civil service.
Immigration officers to protect our borders, their starting salary is around 2400-2600 a month; whereas, police officers starting salary range above 3000 and upwards. Learnt there are less than 15 immigration enforcement officers for this island, but we have about 400 police officers instead. So we give less support to the officers protecting our borders… but when illegal landers, terror, suspicious visitors, drugs from overseas, and weaponry come here we cry for the police to help instead and right away want to increase their salaries and employ more police officers, even pay high salaries to foreigns officers who come here to enjoy the sun… and we love to dog immigration and say they can't accomplish anything. Sometimes I wonder what do we expect? We put our money on the wrong things too often. Isn't protecting our borders of extreme importance just like customs enforcement? I can see why Franz can say their is a lost of morale in the Civil Service.
Please do a skills assesment of these "2000 plus" unemployed "Caymanians" and the truth will be revealed. Eliminate the following groups: 1) don't even apply for jobs 2) don't show up for the interview 3) dont show up for work once hired 4) cant make it to work on time 5) work history of dishonesty 6) walk off the job 7) no basic math or english skills. The group that is left has unbelievable employment and advancement opportunities due to the expense and aggravation of managing work permit holders and the laws protecting their rights in Cayman. You say you have 2,000 plus looking for work? Where are they?
Aww…be fair. there are realistically 15. 15 of those you speak up. Those poor people.
Here we go again…more officers needed? Same old story, nothing new..as has been said countless times whilst there are issues in some places with the permits, the real issues of people beleiving they should just "get " jobs and the complaints procedures are left standing..for Caymans own good this has to be solved, you will price yourself out the market very shortly if you dont. Why can't these people take thier heads out of the sand for once and smell the coffee?? It is doing Cayman no good to ignore the real issues. It is perpetuating the problem.