Immigration: Carrot not stick
(CNS): Premier Alden McLaughlin has signalled a move towards incentivizing employers to train and employ local people rather than forcing them, as he said governments have tried that for decades and it hasn’t worked. Although the premier has spoken about improving enforcement when it comes to checking that employers are not abusing the system, he has now signalled a new approach that will encourage rather than compel bosses to take on Caymanians. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday evening as he wrapped up the Throne Speech, Policy Statement and Budget Address, he said government was working on a new accreditation system that he believed would have more success in seeing Caymanians replace permit holders.
The premier said he recognised that Cayman cannot be insular and restrictive in regard to immigration. He warned that there is a “tendency in tough times to want to force companies to employ locals and not allow any more permits”, but McLaughlin said he has spent a lot of time thinking about and observing the issues surrounding immigration and had concluded that it is not possible to compel companies to hire people that they don’t want to hire.
Given the amount of resources that would be required to enforce such a regime, he said it would be impossible to make it work. He said successive governments have tried to drive employers to employ and train local people instead of recruiting overseas by enforcement but it has not worked. McLaughlin said he believed government needs to incentivize bosses to train and hire as we have not succeeded in achieving more opportunities for locals by force for over 40 years.
“In my view it is never going to work,” he said as he pointed to the new initiative he hoped to get underway this year. He said he wanted to breathe new life into an accreditation scheme which had been worked on during the 2005-2009 PPM administration.
Although he did not spell out the details of the proposals, the premier said a lot ofwork had been done on this in the past. He said his ministry was now looking at how it can implement an accreditation scheme that would reward employers who have high levels of local employees in the forthcoming amendments, as an incentive rather than continuing down the road of compulsion.
Following the first phase of immigration changes, the premier had signalled an intention to police the workplace more closely and ensure bosses were complying with the immigration law and that what they said on business staffing plans and other submissions to government regarding their employees and training of local workers was accurate. He had announced financial provision for more front line immigration enforcement officers who would make workplace inspections. McLaughlin did not say if those plans had been abandoned, given the shift to a carrot rather than a stick approach in efforts to persuade employers to taken on train, develop and promote local workers.
McLaughlin stated that phase two of the changes to the immigration law will focus on the work-permit system and the way that the application process is administered. The premier also raised the issue of finger-printing as an extra aide to border security and said consideration was being given to begin creating a data base, starting with permit holders.
Category: Politics
Enforcing the law has failed, so now we give incentives to law breakers to comply with the law.
Why not take the same brilliant approach to all other law breakers.
What next? Will rapist get discount cards to brothels under PPM.
I do agree that 50% of any business should be Caymanian. Not the paper ones but the men and women from the soil. As a business owner I find it very difficult to operate my business without 50% of my staff as Caymaninan. My staff consists of 20 employees and I am open for business 6 days per week. Out of those 6 days I will have 100% staff every Thursday and Fidays. For the other days, 50% of them are 'No Shows', or 'Sick'. That 50% never work on their birthdays. To this day I still cannot understand why employees do not want to work on their birthdays. Maybe, it is because they did not labour to come into this world. Another experience that I encounter with 50% of my staff, is that, whenever, they are at work, they arrive late to work and take long lunch hours, constantly on their phones or sit at their desk on Face Book, missing in action, do not smile, dress untidy, cannot spell and do not care what they write as their attiude is, 'you better read it or leave it'. That 50% will put me out of business. I am grateful for the other 50% which keep my business open. To that 50%,please put your life in order. Buiness people are ready to hire you but you first have to fix yourself.
Stop reading at "from the soil" because you are a racist.
Well if all of your rambling is true, can't see how you make time to wash ya linen in public, shouldn't you be working, or better yet shouldn't you be packing ac it sounds that the business you have is failing because of Caymanians, and the way things going bobo ya might not even get more work permits. So make a decision Breda. And Nother Ting.
No thank you. Do not want what is on offer.
I told you Alden is weak especially where labor is concerned! boy are Caymanians going to regret electing this lame duck premier to office. We will get nowhere with this man!
Never thought I would say this, but McKeeva seems to be to be the lesser of the 2 evils we are offered
Never thought I would say this, "please sober up."
It always amuses me how short some people's memories are.
RESIGN NOW Mr Premier if this is what you think about your own people. Do you think businesses in USA, UK, Canada, Bermuda, Bahamas, Jamaica and the Caribbean region are offered carrots to hiring local people when it is written in the law? You have made a mockery of the Immigration Law, your immigration policies do nothing to protect your people and you are telling the world that Caymanians are not good enough. This is DISGRACEFUL after reading the Progressives manifesto. Yet again you have FAILED with keeping your promises to the people
I agree he lied he blew smoke up our rears…….He is doing nothing to protect our people. He is actually worst than Mckeeva!!! I hope C4C help you get elected next round.
I think since all the work permit holders are mostly coming from third world countries, they should go through a lie detector test. When I got a job in 2 jewelry stores in Fla. ,I had to take a lie detector test. Maybe it would be better if immigration does it. Then we will know if they have stolen anything back home . Maybe other crimes? Drugs, robbery,assault? What do you all think? That would give us more jobs just think of the hassles……I believe that should block out some jobs for Caymanians.
If employers complain and close their business in protest, no problem . There will be more opportunities for Caymanians to reopen that business.
50% of employees should be Caymanians otherwise the business should not have been open.
I'm sorry. What? Most work permit holders are coming from third world countries?! oh, you mean countries like England, Canada, USA, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain… and the list goes on. Those countries?
What a bizarre and idiotic statement. You WANT people to bring their human capital to your country. The best approach to this is NOT to treat every single one like they are a potential liar and a criminal. There is already a criminal record check in place.
Out of curiosity, what exactly would you ask these "third world" people on their lie detector test anyway? Nothing like setting yourself up for human rights issues there.
Speaking of third world countries, have you looked in the mirror lately?
41% of work permit holder are from Jamaica. 13% from the Philippines. That meets the defnition of most, before we mention Honduras, India, Pakistan, etc etc.
So I guess your point is that people from these countries are liars who are responsible for the problems in the Cayman Islands then?
In the USA they do lie detector tests in businesses. It also includes finance and tourism. Could Cayman be thought of as a third world country for doing the same ? The questions would be the same as they asked me when I applied to work at Zales and Gordons jewelry stores. Yes I got employed and yes I have 2 passports. Next question? Why would any foreigner be afraid to take the test?
50% of a business should be Caymanian or it should not be open? What the? How will that work? So basicially you are suggesting a massive contraction of the economy. Shut down finance and tourist completely because there simply aren't enough Caymanians to go around (qualified OR unqualified).
You, my friend, should think twice before posting.
Most expats in finance hardly try to integrate and won't be missed at all. If you don't appreciate that this country belongs to Caymanians, you have no business being here. Just for the record, I am an expat.
Its a bit hard to run a business without employees. What part of 22000 work permits and <2000 unemployed Caymanians do you not understand? Numbers not your strong suit? Not missed at all – right, when the finance industry generates >60% of the economy. Glad you will be able to integrate – not sure what you will be doing to earn a crust, tho.
I earn my crust with a non-parasitic job. (Lawyers, bankers, accountants, agents, advertising etc, etc)
So you think Cayman is a first world country? What have you been drinking or smoking?
On Par with the US,Canada, Germany, Sweden, Australia? You have not been a reader in current and international affairs.
Solution is education as a previous poster said. Increase the standards. The hours of public school are too short. New school hours should be 12 hours a day, starting at 7:30am. Obviously not for preschoolers. Though if you look at some of the preschool children they are in attendance at preschool for that length of time. Mandate private extracurricular businesses to register centrally. If parents want their child to attend 'after school' activities they have to provide evidence. Otherwise the child will stay at the school in study rooms or attend classes at the main school.
Add social etiquette to the curriculum eg enforce the need for time keeping. Most employers complain about staff going to work late. It comes from learned behaviour in school it was not engrained in the mindset. Teach proper interaction with superiors. Have scenarios, teach this from primary school. Starting at the high school level is quite late with teenage angst working against you.
These are only minor suggestions. Enforcement of hiring is a band aid solution to a deep rooted problem.
The suggestions do not address the other problem of the individuals who are already highly educated and have experience. A solution is do as the Romans. The expats go to cayman for better opportunities. If one is qualified and has experience go to another country, caymanians do the same. The caymanian forefathers did it. At the point you are ready, return with international experience or you may be quite happy wherever you are living. The international experience is priceless. Once under the belt glass ceilings will dissolve.
I didnt come to Cayman for better opportunities. I came here because I love the beach and the year round warm weather. Dont generalize about all expats.
I thought it was often because some employees determine that the added premium offered by employers was worth the downside of having to live in Cayman, and that playoff is a personal choice based on circumstance.
Better weather is a better opportunity isn't it? Just repackaged. It didn't have to meanfinancial gain.
Yes solution in part is Education, however recognition of experience send qualification of Caymsnians in many instances is cast aside for someone from another Amother , oops I mean land. Until we understand how to manage the immigration problem, our Caymanians returning home with education will have to start a Union along with those who ate unemployed and those who are going yo be unemployed when the children of the one time expat also return to claim their position.
I will keep an open mind on this Mr. Premier, but why the press release before anything substantial is being announced? The mixing of phallic metaphors is really tiresome too – carrots, sticks…might as well throw in a few apples and oranges too. We are waiting for the solution promised which would be very welcome. I for one, am sceptical that qualified, employable Caymanians are being passed up for jobs…they are like hen's teeth and every small business employer who has shopped for staff might agree. Increased work permit fees are certainly enough of a disincentive for any smal businesses at the moment to hire foreign staff. Is this really a problem or just politicking to quel the rant of a mob of walking wounded who can't compete in hard times?
Why cant the immigration dept simply post on their website (job title/employer) everytime they get a work permit application?
This way qualifified caymanians who applied for the job can at least have time to advise the work permit board they applied for a particular job. right now they only find out after the fact if they find out at all. The information would also help education know what jobs should be priotized for scholarships etc.
Liasing with the work force development agency is not enough as they only keep a record of those without jobs. I may be in a job and applying for another one that i am qualified for.
This is a very simple idea with no cost.
my friend your idea just makes too much sense and it doesnt cost enough to implement and it did not come from a hired consultant to boot! never see the light of day.
What ever happened to if your a good worker they hire you and if your not they don't? The Cayman islands way is if your not a good worker then a business is a bad business if it dose'nt hire you. Right?
15:18 Wrong,it is just your biased opinion of the Cayman way.
About bloody time! We Employers were presented with this system last time PPM was in and it was an excellent solution to the mind numbing madness of the lame duck BSP Board etc. It allowed for the fact that some of us Employers are making huge efforts to attract local candidates, train, mentor, etc and when we truly do need a work permit make it affordable and streamlined.
Right now the system is ridiculous, the NWDA is not effective, yes they still send you candidates who actually admit in interviews they are not interested in work they are doing it to just satisfy social services etc.,
MLA's will send employers people who go begging to them to work and then when you call these people up to interview them they either say they don't want to work or they simply won't show up for the interview.
I'm Caymanian and by the way I make no distinction between born here Caymanians nor so called paper Caymanians, we are alll "paper Caymanians" as if you read the laws and I doubt if many of those who post on here have ever bothered to read the rather hefty document of Immigration laws and all of its amendments, all Caymanians are "paper" Caymanians as ciitizenship is granted by law not by birth but back to the point
This proposed system creates a win-win situation for the majority of employers who are truly good employers and does not put us on the same level of those employers who don't even bother with the pretense of things like health insurance and pension and training programs and scholarships.
I say please bring it online this year PLEASE!!!!
13:13.You are obviously not Caymanian since you do not know the definition of "Paper Caymanian".A "Paper Caymanian" is someone who has status by grant but continues to identify as an Englishman ,Jamaican,Canadian or other nationality,until such time as it suits them then they identify themselves as Caymanian.(like when it is time to claim a certain benefit or entitlement,or start a business)Therefore they are said to be Caymanian on paper only and not in actions.
I'll pass on these carrots. They are too likely to cause upsets later on.
Call it a carrot, call it a stick, it is the same crap being foisted on businesses to support charity employment and promotions. It is basically a tax on business.
Mr. Premier, the country would prefer you to explain what measures Government plans for supplementing orsubstituting the revenues it receives from granting work permits with revenues generated from other, new sources! One primary reason that capable and eligible Caymanians cannot get jobs in many sectors is Government's dependency on work permit revenues and its liberal issuing of permits.
"Policing the workplaces", "financial provision for more Immigration officers to make workplace inspections", etc., etc. These measures along with any "carrot" incentives and the administration thereof cost money!! Where is that to come from when the country remains financially strapped (despite Government's self-described optimistic Budget)??
Please get real Mr. Premier! Throwing more money at a problem (and yes, it is a very real problem) while simultaneously fueling that problem is a mindless contradiction and truly not a solution. The solution cannot be achieved until the fundaments of the problem are correctly addressed.
So we had an expat teacher working for us for 7 years. Then a Caymanian teacher applied and we hired the Caymanian as a good corporate citizen. The expat teacher left the island as her wp was not renewed. The new teacher quit after one week as she found different employment and now we find ourselves 25 percent understaffed. We have advertised again and contacted nwda and no teacher applied. Now we have to spend thousands of dollars which we do not have to hire and repatriate another teacher from abroad.
Given that we only have 3 teachers on payroll think about the impact the protectionist policy is having on our small business and the island as a whole. Govt should not be in the business of forcing private companies who they should hire. They may want to incentivize businesses that act In a certain matter that's fine but as a business please let me select my own workforce.
I totally agree with your point and you provide an excellent example. The government should get its fingers out of the labour market. If anything, it should be concentrating on the supply side, not the demand side. It should be focussed on supplying very highly skilled, well trained and super qualified individuals with a strong work ethic. In other words, education and training.
Instead it wasted a ton of money on new buildings. Where is the money for teachers? Where is the money for after school care programs? Where is the money for family support programs or new parent programs? Where is the community building money or the money for basic materials and school supplies?
Perhaps the government should get it's own sh*t together before they start telling businesses how to run themselves and who to hire.
This post and the original post it was written to in repy were both written by the same person. You obviously wrote the post and then replied to it. Same language, same style same everything… I guess you think all Caymanians areidiots too?
As the writer of the second post I think yours is hilarious because you are wrong. Perhaps the first writer and I both received similar educations?
I don't think all Caymanians are idiots but I guess you must be one for thinking that I'mwriting then responding to my own posts.
Carrot and not a stick is a great idea Hon. Permier Alden thank you, but until you reward the Big Firms HR and Recruiters that contunually recruit and place from overseas (recruiters get $10-$15,000 carrots in THEIR pockets…) this will NOT stop.
The "top" employer patted themselves on the back last week as they hired another dozen expats for White Collar jobs when at least 2 dozen accredited, certified, recognized, and well respected and well-qualifed Caymanians applied. (Huh?)
Until you offer the incentives to the HR Departments and recruiters, this lucrative cycle will not be broken. The Business Staffing Board is still ignoring complaints, submitted paperwor, and permit waivers are "Business as Usual" with the Staffing Board and NWDA.
Government HIRES itself are the worse offender for offering no adherence to the Immigration Law and even when degreed, certified, and qualified locals apply, the Authorities and Government Departments hire "experts" from overseas instead of locals who have worked HARD to get to a mid-managment or Senior level??? Of course we can ALL make a sweet honey pot for overseas hires, but local talent that is qualified MUST be groomed. What happened to succession planning? (CIAA, General Regsitry, HSA, Gov It, Customs, Planning, Lands & Survey) ALL of htese have qualified locals that applied, just DO the FOIs on any expat employed there and you will see 3 Caymanian applications that could have easily filled the role.
Yup, good lip service, now please reward those who mortgaged their homes and went overseas to get these accreditations and are STILL being passed over? Clean you own own first…..put your money where your mouth is for the 100 jobs you JUST approved. Thank you.
I give up. I am from North America, married to a Caymanian, been here for nearly 10 years and really well liked in the community and by my peers.
I went on approved maternity leave and just found out my job was just given to an expat! Try to fight it (ha ha and I was well liked?) and the recruiters laugh all the way to the bank. $$$ I guess being a mother is not the profitable or billable hours my firm wanted, so now the more qualified "local" -me- is unemployed with a mortgage and a family to support while an expat walks into my job on a cushy 2 year permit (that will turn into 9 so there goes THAT job for a local!?) for the record, I am white and get my status next year so not welcomed even as a paper Caymanian!!
Don't tell me local financial and law firms recruit Caymanians, that is a myth bigger than the Caribbean Sea.
NOTE:
YOU ARE AN EXPAT.
What makes you think you are well liked? Reading your post I dont think I like you much.
Bit spiteful that, pal.
yes he sounds like an ass@@@@
This is a preposterous conspiracy theory.
In the days before the preponderance of local recruitment firms, companies in Cayman simply used overseas recruitment firms. At least the local firms keep the money paid in the local economy and at least they have Caymanians on their books. How many Caymanian candidates would a local company get if they contacted Michael Page in London looking for accountants?
You honestly think companies in Cayman want to spend X0,000 on a work permit fee, another X0,000 on recruitment fees and another X,000 on relocation fees when there is a perfectly good local candidate? This is total lunacy.
Preposterous – clearly you are not looking for a middle-management job in any local commercial bank here. I personally know well-liked & hard working (overseas educated and experienced) Caymanians who cannot find jobs in their designated (and highly certified) fields and every HR manager at these large banking firms hire and renew expats only. No enforcement and all local applications mysteriously never make it to the staffing board or immigration. Preposterous, it happens every day. Thank you for your optimism.
If you have proof then go to the authorities with it. If you do not you are simply peddling conspiracy theories.
Been there, done that, got the T shirt. Why would you believe they enforce the Law?
Totally understand what he is trying to do, but how do you get pass the issue when employers deliberately place a job description for somebody already working in the company and then advertise knowing they have somebody lined up for the position. Also Paper status Caymanians are more likely going to work with friends and foes who are trying to obtain a job over a born and bred Caymanian. I have worked in many industries on island and no I am not from here but I have seen so many prejudices and racism towards the Caymanians that I dumb founded. Can you image that occurring elsewhere? This place is too small for companies to come here and dictate to the very Politian’s how to run things. But unfortunately as I have learnt over the years if the Caymanians were looking after each other rather than back stabbing then what we see going on here now would never have occurred. The old saying goes you rip what you sow. Now the chickens have come home to roost. Not sure if it is too late to claim back your home or heritage. Put it this way the other Caribbean countries would never have allowed this disrespect towards an Immigration system to occur in their own country.
RIP WHAT YOU SOW
lmaooooooooooo
reap.
I thought it was rip what you sew.
You mean all those other Caribbean countries with a per cap GDP higher than the US because of their successful immigration and protectionist polciies … wait…. Oh!
I don't think Government has done enough to incentivize employers. I bet you if you would make it law that any employer that hires at least 50% of their staff Caymanians and at least 50% in senior positions, be exempt from having to pay for work permits, you will see an increase in jobs in no time! Alden need to consider using incentives – FORCE has always caused employers to tighten their fist and at times break the law. IF WE REALLY HAD GOOD INCENTIVES IN PLACE DO YOU THINK WE WOULD NEED A ROLL-OVER POLICY TO HELP MORE LOCALS GET JOBS??? I DON'T THINK SO!
M
That might be true in certain industry.
Take the Construction industry for instance. Since the generation of vipers came into this World, none wanted to work in the hot sun.
The last generation that went directly into this field were done in the late 70s After that the few that did drifted into the field, when they could hold a hammer, they were intitled to a T&B license, so they became self employed , not working for no other construction companies.
So tell me, where are these Caymanians that looking work in the building industry???
Best way to replace expats – a good education.
I would love to know the education level(s) of the persons(s) thumbing down 8:26.
Post-graduate professional from top-tier UK university who has had the fact of interest in positions repeatedly concealed from immigration.
I thought there were only two tiers in UK universities, Oxbridge and others. You obviously were an "other".
UK qualified professional from top tier university.
Yup, and just make sure that you go to an accredited university.
And showing up with a career mindset, not vacation and sick-day-counting, nail appointment keeping, and bare minimum paycheck scrapping.
Oh boy. That was the excuse they used 20 years. Many Caymanians are now well-educated.Then they used "lack of experience" (even though some expats are hired with zero experience). When Caymanians gained experience then they said it was "lack of exposure". There will always be an excuse.
Ya.. cause employers love to come up with excuses to pay thousand and thousands of dollars in unnecessary fees. Firms do that all the time, all over the world. There is always an excuse alright but not on the part of employers.
Simple fact.. there may be qualified Caymanians but if there is a candidate that is better who can bring in more fore the company and who justifies the work permit fees.. .the bottom line dictates who will be hired. I just don't buy this "everyone is prejudice against Caymanians" excuse. It doesn't make financial sense to spend $10 grand on a permit just to satisfy a prejudice.
And then when you live in London for 4 years and go to boarding schools and travel the world like I did thereby getting the exposure then they say you are overly confident and hire yourmediocre counterparts for their 'keen attitude'. In other words, the employer can control and expect loyalty from those persons because they are dependent for their competence on the other people they work with. It is all about control and there will always be an excuse used to justify the approach these firms take. Not that I am not confident, but the modifier 'overly' tells me a lot about what is expected from young Caymanians (ie. a submissive, neurotic approach that makes the firm feel good about itself).
Alden McLaughlin has already stood before the Caymanian people and lied by promising them that OMOV would be an important part of their agenda once the people had thrown out the Bush regime for the McLaughlin regime.
What makes this next fad any different?
Well Alden, you have proven yourself to be a liar. The people pushed Bush aside in favour of the "sanity" that you offered and unfortunately, the insanity continues.
You sir, are not fit to lead this nation. There are thousands of good, honest Caymanians that go to work every day that would do a damned sight better job than you.
People, if we vote no-confidence, we need people to stand other than Bush acolytes.
I vote no confidence in Alden McLaughlin and no confidence in the PPM.
I'm not allowed to vote, but why is he lying? It's 12 months since PPM have been in power, save the accusations up for when their time is up not a quarter of the way thru
Did you read their manifesto? It is a litany of broken promises. No, I guess not. These politicians will be proven to be liars. It's just a shame that we'll have to wait a few more years to find out. They promised OMOV and immediately reneged. Honourable people do not do this. Dishonest is as dishonest does.
PPM do not care about Caymanians their immigration policies are the evidence
What, the ones making it practically impossible to achieve PR?
7;37
I think it goes back further than the PPM Immigration policies. Why did the guys scrap the protection board in the late 90s that's where the problem came. We have nothing to protect Caymanians.
Since then the younger politicians sold us down the road…. and still doing so.
I am allergic to this type of carrot.
Was it Mac that coined the phrase 'Milk and Carrots'?…
Now Alden is saying 'Carrot not a Stick'?
What is it with 'carrots' and politicians…
They are all donkeys?
And what about the firms that train locals who then move on to other firms?
02:17.What about the expats that come to work for one employer ,only to leave aftera few years and join the competition, or become the competition by forming their own company ,doing the same line of work .This happens in Law firms,Trust companies to janitorial services.
Supposedly freedom to contract your labour, not indenture or slavery. Do try and join the 21st century.
Did they jump or were they pushed?
The irrefutable truth is that competent/qualified Caymanians shall always be employed or hired by employers. Regrettably, in any society there is a portion of people who are simply unemployable. The Immigration Law in its various iterations has sought to cause these people to become employed. That is simply ill conceived and wrong. It would appear that it has taken a little short of half a century for our government to come to grips with that single concept.
it is well time that we realised (especially in the midst of our xenophobic incantations that we are a nation) that the single most defining characteristic of a nation is people. 60,000 people is a small town. Miami, Houston, New York, London, Paris Buenos Aires and Hialeah all have populations far in excess of 60,000 (and they do not draw the distinction between indigents and ex pats). Not one of those cities proclaims itself a nation.
if Cayman really wishes to assert its national status it needs to have a Cayman based population. If an employer wishes to employ "X" and provided "X" has a clean criminal record then a permit should be granted. Logically there is no way on earth that an employer would prefer an ex-pat "X" to aCaymanian/status holding "X". In the case of the Caymanian/status holding employee the employer has only to be concerned with maintaining the employer/ employee relationship. He also saves substantial monies by employing locally ( no work permit fees; no lawyer fees when renewal time comes and no airfares for employee & family when vacation time comes around).
by taking a realistic view on immigration (work permit) issues the population grows to something somewhat more akin to a nation. Revenue shall flow to CIG and businesses shall grow.
– 00:04.Your first sentence is just not true;either you are ignorant of the facts or ,more likely,you have chosen to ignore in favour of your own xenophobic views (as evidenced in your second paragraph). Therefore the rest of your post is irrelevant. The truth is that in more recent times, many qualified Caymanians have had a harder time getting employment locally.( A classic example is the inability of local lawyers to get articled ,at the same time that locally licensed law firms have been employing non-Caymanian lawyers to practice Cayman Is. law in overseas offices and not wanting them to come here to be admitted to the bar). So please do not tell me "competent/qualified Caymanians shall always be employed or hired by employers", it is simply untrue.
So tell me something. You would rather that those law firms stay and hire who they want or leave altogether, taking all their business and employees with them (and in turn all that those people contribute to the economy)?
Think carefully here about the bigger picture. If a firm cannot be prosperous in a particular environment it will simply leave. We live in a global economy. Protectionism will not help you here. If it is dictated to the firm what human capital they MUST use and they find that by using this human capital their costs go up (due to lack of skill, lack of attendance, lack of experience, quitting shortly after starting or whatever reason), then the firm will seek either different human capital or a new, more cost effective, environment in which to do business.
Bitch and moan all you want but the simple fact remains that businesses do not have prejudice against Caymanians. They have a bias against poor performing human capital or expensive human capital that does not produce a high enough return. Perhaps you feel that you would be better off if all the law firms simple operated out of Bermuda and all the tech firms moved to Dublin?
10:45.I would prefer that they act as good corporate citizens and hire qualified Caymanians.
Dear irrefutable truth,
Clearly youhave not looked at your IT department in a while. This is an area which demands strict adherence to certifications and accreditation, but apply as a Caymanian with these qualifications and good references and watch as an overseas person is hired? Don't believe me? Look at every large financial firm. This is where the audit needs to start, no pun intended. Local banks are the worst offenders, followed by Govt, and law firms. Shameful. Tell your children to choose a difference degree. Although I hear medical is just as bad?
Bla bla bla
Premier, you need to really ask the question why your people do not want to work in certain occupations, and why even some Caymanian companies do not want to employ Caymanians? The stories about people repeatedy turning up late, leaving early are too frequet to be a myth. Reality check needed?
Excellent news. Long overdue, as remains the arrest and prosecution of those that have been defrauding Immigration and the Caymanian people for a decade.
been saying this for years, any employer with 50% or more caymanians as a percentage of their work force should get a reduction of 75% of the expats work permit fees, unemployment would vanish over night
Yeah, that sounds fair. And let's tell the Caymanians we then employ that we are doing so because we value the WP discount more than their actual contribution, coz we wouldnt have employed them based on their actual ability to do the job, right? There are already massive economic incentives to employ Caymanians – your "solution" misses fundamental problems; 1) there are not enough Caymanians to fill all the jobs 2) some Caymanians are such bad candidates as employees that employers would rather pay substantial work permit fees to hire an expat than hire them 3) some Caymanins do not want the jobs on offer – you cannot fill those jobs with locals absent a major change in attitude. How does a rebate change any of that, huh?
Best you get off your high horse and think about those without jobs who just want employment and the ability to support their families.
I will get off my high horse if you take your blindfold off. Why are those people unemployed? Are you seriously suggesting that employers (including Caymanians) are so prejudiced against Caymanians that they will hire foreigners with all the added costs of permits and compliance just to indulge their prejudices?
I just want a job pal, i have kids to feed, i don't care how or why i get it, a rumbling belly doesnt care. Do you get it now?
I recommend that you apply at all the hotels to turn down beds and all of the restaurants to bus tables. Both are entry level positions that could lead to better things with the right attitude towards hard work and learning. Once in the door there is lots of room to move. If you work hard and learn the industries, I forsee a day when you are hosting in a restaurant then manager or manager of housekeeping in a hotel.
You obviously read Alden's policy document, because that is exactly where he is going with this. But under that policy I as an employer would be better off hiring another 5 Caymanians to work for me in low paid jobs just to save the 75% on my WPs. Hell- i could pay them not to come into the office and still make money! Forcing employers to hire people is always going to end badly – bribing them to do it is not much better, frankly. At the heart of it all is a shameful admission that some Caymanians cannot compete with the expat worker in his own country. Can we not make Caymanians more competitive instead of handicapping the employemt of foreigners? Why arent employers crying out for Caymanian labour without all thsese bullshit protections and incentives? Lets deal with the causes – education, work ethic, realistic expectations – not try and plaster over the consequences.
Hallelujah. A government that gets it. Like the below viewpoint said, you cannot force buyers to buy anything. If you keep turning down permits and driving up prices for the ones you do issue, eventually they will just say f*** it and leave.
http://centos6-httpd22-php56-mysql55.installer.magneticone.com/o_belozerov/31115drupal622/viewpoint/2013/10/16/economics-unemployment
Premier little Mc is spine less
Why did we vote for PPM if they will not protect Caymanians? 2017 I not voting for any of this lot
I know why!
Because we are not an independent country and so then the responsibility of protecting Caymanians rests with the UK not the PPM. That's why the police and army are UK lead. Are you saying PPM should build up an army, police and navy force to further protect us?That could, I guess, reduce unemployment but they can't because they are broke at the moment.
i am not a ppm fan but I had to take their side here. Sorry.
Here is an idea that will shock government…get the Immigration department and Work Permit and Business Staffing Planning Boards to ENFORCE the Immigration Laws of the Cayman Islands.
If businesses do not comply with the laws and regulations, punish the offending companies that are proven to have lied and misrepresented facts about interviews, hirings and training of Caymanians during Work Permit application and renewal process.
That wouldbe easier then turning the normal Caymanians into something that businesses want to hire. But it still would not solve the problem.
Can't wait to hear about this new initiative considering we have another 500 school children graduating from the local high schools and another couple hundred from universities.
I believe one of the greatest achievements Mr. McLaughlin can do is to introduce the fingerprinting process, beginning with workpermit holders, Very Good move Alden.
Anyone who objects or thumbs down this, definately has something to hide.
Agree 100% !!!!
Then when crimes are committed and they run the prints on the expat database and there are NO matches they will have PROOF that is their own Caymanians committing the crimes. Excellent idea!!
Not so fast, Sherlock. You must have missed the current story about an illegal landing. Did you think they came here on holiday, or that it is an isolated case? Our borders are porous. At most it would prove only that the crime was not committed by someone who entered the country legally.
Although you are trying to dismiss it, it is actually a serious problem where persons re-enter the country using assumed names and false travel documents. Only fingerprinting can accurately detect this.
God you are clever. The illegal landings – of course. So why are we using the database again if the borders are so porous that it is an ineffective control against expats anyway? Surely the numbers of illegals are dwarfed by the number of Caymanians – if you are going to have a database to eliminate crime why do you limit it to 22000 out of a population of 58000. If you want to get real about effective controls against real problems, then fingerprint and DNA type EVERYONE – then at least when RCIPS find DNA or a fingerprint at a crime scene they will be able to eliminate (or identify) 99% of the poulation and it will ONLY be the illegal landers they need to worry about.
You really are an idiot. So because we are having problems keeping our borders secure we should not make any effort to try to ensure that none slip through immigration undetected. It is niot an either/or situation, dumbass.
Or maybe it will show that they got Cayman Status in the big give-away of a few years ago. Ever thought of that?
12:26.And when the match is made with an expat ,he is charged and deported at the end of his sentence.
I gave this the thumbs down for two reasons. One, the plan you want is illegal under the UK's human rights obligations which apply to Cayman. Two, you can't spell definitely.
Finger printing should be for everyone children included. Most times I do not think I've been robbed by some crack addicted person. But by a bunch of teenagers that have skipped school for the day. All school children should get finger printed and provided with an identification stating the name of the school they attend and other particulars such as the parents full names and the child's home address.