Labour office finds problems on Sister Islands
(CNS): Following a number of site visits to employers in the Sister Islands this past summer by officials from the Department of Labour and Pensions (DLP), the director has said there are a number of challenges when it comes to workplace compliance and best practices as well as work ready issues with young people on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. During the summer the Grand Cayman labour team assessed safety and compliance with the Labour and Pensions Laws on the Sister Islands labour office and found opportunities for what was described as “more outreach” about the challenges. However, the department was not specific about the problems that it says it needs to address.
“There are unique circumstances and challenges in the Sister Islands in respect to Labour, Occupational Safety, and Pensions compliance, as well as workforce readiness and best practices in workplace relations,” the director of labour and pensions Mario Ebanks said. “This visit will help inform the Department as it provides the Ministry of Employment with policy options for consideration, with a view to effecting timely and holistic solutions to these challenges.”
According to a release from the department, with each site visit the department noted that throughout the Sister Islands there was a "growing opportunity for more outreach programmes in terms of labour and pensions education, including programmes on compliance with the labour and pensions laws as well as safety awareness.”
It said that the visit “opened opportunities” for the National Workforce Development Agency (NWDA) to work with the DLP in coordinating apprenticeship and work ready schemes for young people and other human capital to help fuel the Sister Islands’ economies.
The trip was also an opportunity for senior officers in the head office in Grand Cayman to become familiar and form communication with the Labour & Pensions satellite office (located in the Creek area). It took place over three days, beginning in Little Cayman, and then two days on Cayman Brac.
The delegation made several familiarization visits and preliminary inspections on worksites, shops, tourist accommodations, and businesses. There was also a preliminary overview of all national workforce needs, as well as a check of safety compliance at all of the work sites. The department said it will continue to follow up and manage training and development as well as to complete strategies for labour and pensions, and work readiness.
The Sister Islands Labour & Pensions Office can be reached at 948-0626, and if the sole officer in not in office the telephone calls are either forwarded to her cellular phone or to the Grand Cayman head office (where Sister Islands callers can also access the Confidential Hotline/Tipline).
See details of office closure this week below.
Category: Local News
These two islands are becoming a joke with their increasing demands for money, facilities and special treatment. They should be treated as self-funding and no more should be spent on them than they generate in revenue. If Brackers are as great businessmen as they bleat on about on CNS, this proposal would encourage their enterprising nature.
Can someone explain to me why, even if was true, that people from the "Sister Islands" made Grand Cayman succesful, this is remotely relevant as to why present day employers in the "Sister Islands" cannot comply with the law?
Careful, we may see that conflict of interest is involved sister islands. You "Caymanans" are so full of anger angainst the "Brackers" who made Cayman Grand that you are really not seeing the issue in the sister islands.
Additionally, what goes on here is no different than we see when in Brac or Little. What make their problem special is something completely different. Normally so loud, obnoxious and obviously biased that we cry against the wrong things. and not the conflict of interest that exists.
Think people, think. Be led by facts, the obvious, circumstances and not your little emotion.
These are words. They seem to form sentences. But these sentences make no sense whatsoever.
mario ebanks must be taking 'management speak' lessons from franz manderson himself!!!
gob bless the civil service…..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
So true 10/09/2012 – 15:35 and by now we know that that "management speak" is only hot air. No substance. Jokers!
what a bunch of waffle…. I'm not even sure what this article is about…..
Come on guys they do need… And deserve special treatment dont tear them down beacuse you think you are better than them!
"Special building codes, special half full jet service, special driveway paving, special duty rates. They so special I think we should give them to Jamaica and save a ton of money.
What is unique in the "Sister Islands" when it comes to complying with basic laws like pensions and safety requirements? NONE. The best way forward is to prosecute the non-compliant. And don't waste any extra cash on the education process, they all know what they need to do. We waste enough extra cash on the Lesser Caymans, don't waste any more.
Can u define Lesser Caymans?
Dem little ol 1×2 dots dat dem sangwich eatin tourists don't go to?
And what is happening to the tourists here? They're either getting run over, robbed or raped? I'm convinced now that it's morons like you and others that have posted here that sit around and wait just for CNS to publish something on the Brac and you all jump for the Brac bashing like flies on sh*t! The last time I checked, Grand Cayman was a little dot on the map too. Who would think that so much ignorant people could come from such a small place.
That is easy, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. They are "lesser" to Grand Cayman, hence the correct geographical term of the Lesser Caymans. I know the politically correct brigade prefer the Sister Islands, but that really is a modernist construct without substance. These islands were the Lesser Caymans and as far as I am concerned will remain that way whatever the politicians say.
I feel sorry for you, Bracers made Cayman what it is! What’s lesser about that!
It refers to the size of the islands in the group relative to the largest island. Lesser Caymans is a valid term which you can find on many maps especaily pre-politically correct renaming,
Can someone translate all the corporate speak and euphemisms so we can find out what is actually going on?
Brackers are not comlying with the laws and they are making up reasons why they need special treatement.
They aren't paying their employees' pension or insurance. Some even owe their employees thosands of dollars in wages. The construction workers aren't wearing safety equipment, hard hats, etc. That isn't the only career with those problems. If the enforcers say anything, they go to the higher ups and complain so they lose their jobs.