Locals face ‘reinforced concrete’ ceiling, says Miller
(CNS): The introduction of ten year work permits and the exclusion of a wide range of posts from work permits at all in the insurance industry will create a “reinforced concrete ceiling" for Caymanians, says North Side MLA Ezzard Miller. The glass ceiling that has existed for many years as a result of successive governments' failure to properly enforce existing immigration laws has gradually turned into a concrete one, he said, and the UDP government has now reinforced that concrete with this latest change to the law. The independent member described the amendments to the immigration regulations as yet another move by government to put Caymanians out of work.
Miller said that the offer to the insurance sector for work-permit free posts for secretaries and support staff was an outrage given how many Caymanians are already out of work, underemployed or unable to get promotion. He questioned the logic of giving new firms access to benefits that existing firms do not have and wondered how long before they would depart and come back as a new company to access the benefit.
“We have a saying in Cayman that one fish in the basket is worth a hundred of them in the sea,” he said, as he pointed to the move for government to allow new insurance firms setting up shop access to benefits that those here and paying their dues will not get.
“We are likely to see a surge of overseas workers coming here now, which will make it even harder for Caymanians to get work,” he said.
Miller described the ten year permits as a serious impediment to progression for Caymanians in the financial sector where they already faced many barriersto advancement.
“This turns what was once a glass ceiling into a reinforced concrete one when it comes to the advancement of local people in the country’s main employment sector,” he said. “This is another typical UDP immigration policy to keep Caymanians out of jobs. Every change the government has made to the immigration law since it came to office has made it more difficult for locals to get work or get promoted.”
The latest regulations have now passed through Cabinet and have been published in the local gazette. The publication of the regulations follows the latest immigration law amendment, which is not expected to be the last. Government is still working on the most significant changes to the law, which will address the temporary suspension of term limits, known as the rollover policy, making the suspension long term.
Category: Politics
There is an entire chapter reserved for the UDP in the next Guinness book of world records for the worst management of a country in the history of the world.
Decades of political mismanagement and failed immigration policy.
50% correct, and only a decade or two
Given the protection afforded to Caymanians under the local companies control law (meaning you have to be Caymanian or have a majority Caymanian owning the business) there is huge opportunity for Caymanians to go out and start their own businesses. Most businesses are service oriented so you are really just selling your time meaning start up costs are very low. I know because I’ve just done it. Why don’t more people follow this route instead of moaning they can’t get jobs? Put your money where your mouth is.
Awesome advice.. I'm local and also did what you're saying. Some of our people complain like a job is the only soultion for them.. it's not! start a business/company and become even more succesful than any 'job' can make you!
Start a business?? one is born every day. Cayman is becoming one big third world ghetto one just have to look at the many street vendors popping up all over the street and not done by Native Caymanians. There is even a vendor selling clothes at the entrance of Northward on Saturdays, people selling out of vans which in my opinion is very tacky and third world. If Caymanians cannot get jobs yes they should set up business instead of going to social services for handout but our government need to give breaks to Native Caymanians instead of giving all the concessions to large foreign companies who just turn around and bring in more people to fill the positions and displace more Caymanians and the cycle continues.
You ignore the fact that fronting is rife and a small number of unscrupulous Caymanians (including relatively new Caymanians) are serial fronters destroying any prospect of real ownership of or control in the economy by Caymanians.
When there was a population of 20,000 business opportunities were far better than what we have now with a population of over 60,000. Maybe the solution is to increase the population to 250,000 Chinese and Arabs with money to spend.
I am not sure which is more disturbing – the actual proposals of your post or the amount of support it has received.
Is that really your solution – Caymanians should open their own business?!
Ok, well let us say the same to the 25% of unemployed native Spaniards and Greeks as well. Alas – no more protests and rioting in the streets by the masses … they've all opened their own businesses!
But why stop there, why don't we extend that sound advice to the millions of unemployed Americans and Brits as well? There you go Obama and Cameron – your employment woes have been resolved.
It is amazing how group-think united in opposition to or criticism of another group of people can conceive and promote such ridiculous proposals.
Awesome advise!!… but its NOT as EASY as it sounds, especially in this economy. Not to be a deterent, but to start with, there are the Hoops, Hurdles, Red tape and INTENTIONAL brick walls to get your business started, there is the competition aspect depending on the field or work, and not to mention the DISCRIMINATION/PREFERENTAL choice of business as per nationality of business owner. Then there is the Struggle to collect revenue owed by your clients etc just to name just a few. Last but not least is a very important attribute, that is business management skills which greatly determines the success or failure of the business. With respect to this skill, there are the haves and have-nots, unfortunately mostly the latter.
Furthermore, WHY should so many Caymanians have to accept the prejudice/discrimination and be forced do the ALTERNATIVE to make a living in their own country?
In any and every country each new business has to prove itself viable against all the other challenges of opening a new business same as in Cayman. What makes them successful is the fact that they go in knowing it will be WORK and that they must do the WORK to get the success. What you call discrimanation/preferental is more like work ethic/no work ethic. In any and all countries those that cannot produce for themselves end up produceing for others to make a living. WHY should so many Caymanians belive that they are so intitled over the hard working and experianced that they should not have to compete with them in their own country? Being a Caymanian in Cayman still does not impart the right to automatic success in business. Join up with the real world and except the hardships like everyone else or continue to ask for things not earned. That is the real and only alternative. Good luck with whatever becomes your choice.
The enemy of the Cayman working class is the Cayman ruling class, not the expats.
Rather depends how you define expat.
Look where the American Indians are in their own country. Funny how history repeats itself. Sir Vassel, Tom Jefferson, Jim bodden and haig bodden got to be rolling over in their graves. How can we continue to tear down all what these great men did and stood for?
Any similarity between the Cayman situation and American indians is solely in your imagination….the American indians were there from almost the beginning of humanity…what is now known as the Caymanian population arrived on British ships. You do not exactly say so, and I hope you were not inferring, that ex pats have anyhting to do with the current situation here…that is purely down to the Cayman electorate and its continued failuer to stand up to the people it elected.
Actually American Indians came from Siberia and were not in America from the beginning of humanity, but, like native Caymanians, they were the first people there.
except Caymanians have been settled in Cayman for around 250 years, where as native americans it's been tens of thousands of years.
Frankly your comparison demeans the suffering native Americans have been through. They have had their population decreased by 98.2%, Caymanians have increased in number. They had genocide commited against them, where as Caymanians have gone from one of the lowest standards of living to one of the highest in the world in the last 50 years
They had whole familiy's put the gun and sword by the European settlors, where as you were the European settlors!
Comparing Caymanians to the Native Indians is like comparing Expats to Jews in Nazi Germany
My family has been in the US or the American colonies for over 380 years. Some got scalped by Indians, but I don't hold a grudge about it 🙂 Stick to rewriting your own history.
Caymanians have been settled here since the 1660s – some 350 years.
The point is that neither native Americans nor Caymanians are indigenous in the strict sense but both were the first people. Both are discrimated against and seen as a nuisance, backward and a hindrance to progress by the newcomers.
Caymanians did not settle here 350 years ago. foreigners did. Over the years they became what we now call native born Caymanians.
I did not say Caymanians came to here to settle O clever one. I said Caymanians have been settled here since the 1660s. That is entirely correct.
Caymanians were Jamaicans until the 1960s. So lets knock 300 years off.
I see you need a history lesson. Caymanians were never Jamaicans. Cayman was always a distinct society and with a separate cultural identity from Jamaica; when Caymanians went to Jamaica they were not seen as Jamaicans but as Caymanians.
Jamaica did not become an independent country until 1962 at which time Cayman was a British crown colony in its own right.
That's worse than trying to argue that Scots are English because they are both in the UK. See how far you get with that one.
There are no similarities between Cayman and the American Indians as there are to Bahamas, SA and Cayman. However, those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. I pray that Caymanians will not find themselves with the same options.
Sir Vassell was an expat……..
an expat who had a heart and conscience and cared for the local people. How about you?
I'm still alive and typing, so I must have a heart at least
The blame game continues, what are the 3 types of people? people that make things happen , people that watch things happen , and people that wonder what happened.
What about me? I simply do not care what happened, is happening or will happen.
Hear hear! I will drink to that!
Hurricane Sandy, world claw back monies, depression, earthquake, how's that for not caring what is happening or will happen? Keep on sleeping and hope you wake up safe and sound without a care in the word. Celebrate Thanksgiving because there will be lots for you to give thanks for at that time if you ok and all is well and say a prayer for all those affected by hurricane Sandy.
Why would non-Americans celebrate a November Thanksgiving? I will not succumb to quasi-cultural hegemony.
We say you must be related to Mac.
Hey this makes perfect sense to me, insurance in Cayman is so dam high maybe if they dont have to pay work permit fees they can reduce the ridiculously high premiums. Some how i doubt though that these savings would get passed onto the little people.Or maybe Mckeeva has some shares in an insurance company as well as property?
Observation:
There is an undeniable and overwhelming presence of "protectionism" in the Cayman Islands as it concerns expatriate workers – notably in the most lucrative sectors of the economy.
True or false?
False, but for "Protectionism for Caymanians" there is undeniable evidence, just look at immigration and labour law
But I forgot you don't like evidence to back up your accusations
I am assuming you are not Caymanian.
Re: " … but for "Protectionism for Caymanians" there is undeniable evidence, just look at immigration and labour law …"
Does every country not have immigration and labour laws? Are we not allowed to do the same?
Or is it that certain folks possess a sense of entitlement and feel superior to the restrictions imposed on others?
Where do you come from? Do you care to compare our laws with those of your home country?
Is the resident population of the Cayman Islands not roughly made up of 50% Caymanians and 50% foreigners?
Can you name a major western country that can say the same?
(It would never happen anyway, as we all know it would be burned to the ground by its own people before that point.)
*It always amuses me how all opposing respondents to my posts receive such showers of support regardless of how illogical the retort.
You last sentence is amusing in a "dance little Whodatis" kind of way. Logic and you were never that close were they? I doubt you studied it during your English redbrick education. However this is an odd tangent even for you.
You mised the real issue. The poster notes the presence of laws which favour Caymanians. So you immediately start asking about the laws of other nations, which to be frank do not appear to be relevant to the point the poster was making. What was really in issue is whether there is a gap between the statutory protection for Caymanians and the reality of the Cayman labour market. There is evidence that there is. But it is not that simple as that since Cayman does need to import external workers to drive the economy and provide employment opprtunities for Caymanians. The real tension is between the offering of stability for growth creating emplyees and the negative impact on the economy of over-zealous protectionsim. That balance is a hard one to achieve. But talking about balance and seeking middle ground is alien to you.
So do you want to deal with the issues or do you want to flame a littlle bit more? You tend to choose the later option almost without exception.
I don't believe I have ever experienced such a concerted and long-winded effort to say absolutely nothing at all.
Re: "What was really in issue is whether there is a gap between the statutory protection for Caymanians … "
What de rass are you talking about?
That "statutory protection" is the most basic and commonly employed right for the citizens of any given country … yours included.
Re: "The real tension is between the offering of stability for growth creating emplyees and the negative impact on the economy of over-zealous protectionsim."
No, buddy – this is where you are not only wrong, but you are also walking on thin ice.
Personally, I have no problems with Cayman inviting foreigners to work here. The issue is with the all too common suggestion (which you are flirting with as well) that the vast majority are individually indespensable to our economy.
Such sentiments married with the dismissive atittude toward qualified Caymanians, the woeful lack of earnest investment in terms of broad education and infrastructure (physical and systematic), and the preferential treatment given to non-Caymanians by fellow non-Caymanians within the Cayman environment results in an unacceptable and dangerous state of affairs – regardess of the host community in question.
All that being said, it is unlikely that many non-Caymanians fully understand or even care about such issues.
Whodatis mashing up the place so?!
Great post my boy
Maybe it all makes sense in pidgin.
Typical.
When faced with harsh truths and left bare faced with no answers – some folks have to reach deep down and pull on their final card … the good old race card.
Classy.
Actually, you have demonstrated a great example of the dilemma facing this host community today.
Individuals like you could never handle an individual like me in the workplace – simply because I shatter all of your little culturally taught ideals of how this world is supposed to work.
"such a concerted and long-winded effort to say absolutely nothing at all."
Calling the kettle black are we Whodatis?
But we are not talking about other countries, read your initial question, there is nothing about other countries, just evidence in Cayman of protectionism, which I clearly and logically answered.
You are the one that when proved wrong goes off on a tangent and starts to rant about other countries.
No my friend, it is called context.
Any hair-brained idea or concept can appear logical and sensible when viewed in isolation.
Context?
your exact question was
"Observation:
There is an undeniable and overwhelming presence of "protectionism" in the Cayman Islands as it concerns expatriate workers – notably in the most lucrative sectors of the economy.
True or false?"
absolutely nothing contextual about other countries and their policies, maybe you should try wording your trollish comments better.
In fact the question was answered clearly and with proof that you are wrong, and your only response was to agree with me and say it also happens in other countries.
so thanks for agreeing, now I bet you have to have the final word, it's just your personality type
but I am done with this before you start trying to bring up the moon landing in your "context" of the question
true…whodatis! so true!
ezzard…. king of the small town, small minded, backward soundbite
Fine by me…i’m bringin my jackhammer.
i presume you are going to hire a jamaican to do the jackhammering……..
I do my own jackhammering thank you…
Just ask your misses
Unemployed Caymanians can't get work because they can't do work. All the employable Caymanians are busy working. Makeing Cayman business hire unemployable Caymanians over outside skill is a great way to make friends and destroy business. Ezzard Millar should put his considerable energy into bringing the education level of future Caymanian workers up to the rest of the worlds level. Thats the real problem. Fis it the right way Ezzard.
By the looks of it, you too can do with some "Education"
Just saying. If you are going to offer such a comment, please ensure that your spelling is correct.
And educated Caymanians are not limited to this tiny island. They are welcomed to work in countries all over the world, and do!
Yes, but almost always uniformly subject to strict work permit restrictions by which they must demonstrate that they are not displacing a local from employment in their own country.
Actually if you are Caymanian you can obtain a Britsh passport, then you can work in the UK and the whole of th EU (including Greece) WITHOUT a workpermit.
And if you are a skilled professional, like an accountant or lawyer then you will find it easy to immigrate and receive PR in many countries likeCanada and Australia and work using their points system.
Yeah, right.
Actually that is not true. If you are a British Overseas Territories Citizen you are eligible to apply to be registered as a British Citizen (a process that takes about 6 months) and if that application is successful ( most but not all are) then you can work anywhere in Europe because you are British, NOT because you are Caymanian. Thousands of Caymanians are not British Overseas Territories Citizens and so are not even eligible to apply to British by registration.
The so called fact ( believed by many) that Caymanians can live and work in Europe is simply not true. If you don’t believe me, ask a lawyer or the Governor’s office.
Not if you are Cayman qualified as a lawyer. Even though the courses are the same, those countries refuse to accept it, to protect their own.
Sure educated Caymanians are not limited to this tiny islands. They can go to the USA and join the line with thousands of other qualified people with CPAs trying to find a job any job or they can stay in their country and get a job. How about going to Ireland and apply for a job there are about 2,000 applicants for every job what is the ratio in the UK, Italy, Greece, SA, Canada, Australia, Philippines, India, Jamaica, South and Central America and any other country? This BS need to stop there is no reason for a single Caymanian to be unemployed. This country has became a cauldron and it is about to boil over. Let it continue and we will see an outcome that will send shock waves around the world. Who are we developing for? Our young people is saying "the Bahamas" solution is at the door and the knock is getting louder, next election will determine the ultimate fate of these islands.
BS!!! There are MANY unemployed Caymanians(QUALIFIED or non-qualified) who KNEW their jobs WELL regardless and who were WORKING(hard-working) for a larger number of YEARS, yet have been LAYED OFF with Permit Workers being retained in OBVIOUS CASES of DISCRIMINATION against the Caymanian.
As for Ezzard, he is fighting a NUMBER OF FIGHTS all at the same time. Among the fights, is a fight against the POLITICAL TYRANNY that is bringing this little nation down very quickly, a fight to help PRESERVE our ENVIRONMENT and the fight for the EQUALITY for Caymanians – a fight that MANY EXPATS clearly dont approve of.
History repeating itself ALL over this world.. Nations plundering and exploiting the vulnreable. In the Case of the Cayman Islands, this should come as NO Surprise.
Thinking your employable is OBVIOUSLY not the same as your boss thinking your employable. It should be OBVIOUS that what a boss thinks is the the more important of the two. Cayman has the same work related DISCRIMANATION as the rest of the world. the DISCRIMANATION against nonperforming, untrainable, people with no social skills and more importantly no good reason to pay them. If you want to be treated as EQUAL you will have to BE EQUAL and not just cry about it. For any QUALIFIED person this is NO Surprise. Paper qualified is like paper Caymanian. For some it still falls short of what is needed to QUALIFY for the position. P.S. Life is not fair for all of us. Get used to it and get on with it.
You give a new meaning to "discrimination? He can't even spell the word". Also, learn the difference between "your" and "you're", and stop misusing block capitals; it's annoying.
Not impressive for an obnoxious expat who evidently thinks he is superior to Caymanians.
What nonsense.Since when is bringing new business to the economy going to harm employment prospects for locals? I suppose it is hard to argue basic economics with someone who believes that if there are 2,000 unemployed locals, simply cancelling 2,000 work permits is the answer.
Since about when the Ritz Carlton was built and employed far fewer born Caymanians than the Holiday Inn which it replaced.
Very true is all about protecting the high class bussines man first. All locals must fight to survive and despite having their qualifications not even the goverment consideres them higher or better qualified than any foreigner whom not only gets the job first but also gets the benefits leaving more Caymanias to suffer and wonder why despite their efforts no one wants them over a foreigner or why being a Caymanian means nothing to any one not even goverment checks to see how their locals are treated or positioned in any job in the country.
In your case, your sentence structure, or lack thereof, may be the impediment. While it worked for James Joyce, it doesn't work for you.
Cue half the visitors googling "James Joyce".
The usual foreigner bashing…all our fault that Caymanians are not given the education needed to qualify for these jobs. It has been said time and time again that most companies would PREFER to employ Caymanians than ex-pats…it would cost less in terms of getting people here, the permits, housing and so on…So Mr Ezzard, perhaps a little concentration on the real issue would assist, instead of the same old same old stuff trundled out every time…
$Millions for churches. $hundreds for colleges.
Helps to explain the unemployable rate here.
12;14
You are so right.
I would like to see Ezzard use more of his energy on a motion to the assembly, that all medical businesses start a training campaign for Caymanians. To prepare them for the Shetty hospital jobs, also get Roy at our university to spearhead a course to train our people for jobs in all areas of that hospital. lets get the government to train those that are able to work, from the 8,000 people on wellfare.
A committee has been created to consider creating a committee for the upcoming nursing program where speaking chineese and feather nesting your friends into management will be par for the course.
Glad my job is secure, and even more thankful that I work for a Company that hires suitable Caymaninas over expats any day of the week and also strives to help you progress upwards within the Company if you show what it takes.
This move by the UDP is quite frankly shocking, and if any of those UDP supporters think that Mac and The Flying Circus have any of the people of these islands at heart, then this is a glaring example that they could not give a flying f**k.
Time for them to go, end of story.
"a result of successive government’s failure to properly enforce existing immigration laws…"
The SELLING OUT of the Caymanian – a SUCCESS of successive Govts.
It is more than obvious its pretty much all over for the Caymanian at least the average/Indigenous one.
THANK YOU Mr Miller for your ENDURING FIGHT for the Caymanian People. We Thank you without measure.
I never until recently really believed that foreign companies had an agenda to employ their own and bypass Caymanians.
About three months ago my spouse who does not need a work permit, sent an application to one of the largest employment agencies for the financial and legal industries. Since that time the same agenciy have advertised numerous jobs of which my spouse is well qualified and has years of experience in. Yet they have not even had the decency to acknowledge the application or conduct an interview with my spouse.
My conclusion therefore is that these companies strongly want to employ people from their own countries and have no intention of employing Caymanians. The 10 year permits will harm the country even more – just like everything else the UDP government have done.
Name the Agency. Go to the Labour Board and report them. If you want justice you need to do something. I've heard this story before. Nail them.
"Not needing" a work permit is a fairly nebulous description and you also need to be more specific about your wife not being interviewed. If you are accurate then this Agency is breaking the Law.
If you are not accurate then you are simply a disgruntled soul driving yet another wedge between expats and locals. "Them and Us" again – it really is the problem in Cayman. The real problem that stops any sort of community spirit and progress.
Do tell us more.
"Them and Us" again – it really is the problem in Cayman. The real problem that stops any sort of community spirit and progress.""
Oh COME ONE MAN. The much more than evident PREJUDICE and DISCRIMINATION that has been SKILLFULLY demonstrated against the Local Caymanian (as well as Statused Caymanian) from way back has BEEN just ONE of GROWING PROBLEMS here in these Islands where >> Our Successive Governments Have Failed To Put Laws in Place to Protect its People and To Enforce Those Laws<< which HAS BEEN a MAJOR contributor to "stop any sort of community spirit and progress".
Do you understand it just a little clearer now?
Thank you for reinforcing the "Them and Us" probem. I didn't suggest it was a one way street. It works both ways and both are equally wrong. Doesn't change the concept.
Actually, that behaviour is normal for employment agencies all over the world. If you are not on the short list, they ignore you.
I assume you had your ears plugged and your eyes blinded or your head buried in the sand.
If this is a reference to CML then please contact me with your wife's details and I will look into this (you will find contact details on our website). We have a policy of responding to all applicants within 24 hours. In the case of Caymanian candidates my staff know that we take a very dim view of any lapse in service standards and l personally investigate any complaint that comes to my attention.
I must also point out that our clients consistently request Caymanian candidates for most roles and that our track record in providing Caymanian candidates is excellent. Last year we placed more than 50 Caymanians in jobs. That would not have been possible if we were systematically prejudiced against Caymanians. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.
Unfortunately, it is the nature of our business that we cannot succeed in finding a job for every single candidate.
Mr McIntosh your reply to my post is very honourable of you and your company!
While I will not embarass the agency in question by naming them publicly or complaining to any board about them, your post was encouraging, and I have requested my spouse to re-send the application to the appropriate agency.
I do understand that employment of Expats and Caymanians is a sensitive issue and we in this country need to adopt an approach that creates balance and harmony in the society.
Once again thank you for your attitude and kind reply…
cayman needs highly qualified workers. end of story.
First sentence correct, second incorrect.
If you were correcting your fellow, blogger about the 'correctness' of his sentences, you should have included the fact that the second is not a sentence.
My concern was the substance rather than the grammar.
Wrong!!! NOT END of Story. Cayman needs UNSKILLED workers in sectors of our infrastructure/labor force, such as your GARBAGE disposal maybe?! And NOT SO SKILLED workers in MANY other areas that the employer is looking for CHEAPER labor or just PLAIN DISCRIMINATION against the Local Caymanian, having the QUALIFICATIONS or COLLEGE DEGREES or NOT.
And so your point is???
The economics of a caveman. He sees the Cayman economy as a zero sum game. Does he want growth and job generation , or the contraction that would come with protectionism?
Job generation for who?