MLA to tackle TLEP jobs
(CNS): An independent member of the country’s parliament has said that he is willing to go through the details of all of the Term Limit Exemption Permits (TLEP) issued by the immigration department to see if he can help match the jobs to Caymanians. Ezzard Miller has made a request to the immigration department for the categories of jobs held by the special permit holders in a bid to find out if unemployed locals could do any of the jobs before government changes the law to allow all of the holders the chance to stay and apply for residency.
The controversial decision by the government to allow around 1,500 workers, many in the tourism sector, the chance to stay when their permits expire in October has angered many and Miller says he is prepared to do what it takes to match the jobs to local people who need work.
Miller pointed out that both the PPM and the C4C had campaigned on a platform of jobs for Caymanians and had previously criticised the introduction of the TLEP by the UDP administration. He said that the new government had committed to an audit of those posts and if they wouldn't do it, he would.
In the first instance, Miller is preparing a meeting in his constituency of North Side and is asking everyone in his district who is looking for work to come along and go through the list — once he gets the necessary information from immigration — so he can see how accurate the assumptions are that the jobs are ones that locals don’t want or are not qualified for. The independent member said he will help North Siders contact the relevant employers and assist them with applications for the posts if they are willing and able to do the jobs.
“I will do whatever it takes to ensure that the law is enforced and wherever a job is held by a permit holder, if there is a local person ready, willing and able to do that job they will be given the post,” he said. “This is what government should have done before they announced that they would all be allowed to stay.”
Once he has dealt with the needs of his own constituents, Miller said he is volunteering his time and will sit in the Legislative Assembly when it is not in session and invite all unemployed Caymanians in need of work to come and look at the list and he will assist anyone who is in a position to do the work held by permit holders to apply for the jobs.
He said that despite the election promises, when it comes to employment of local people very little appears to have changed.
“It seems as the government still doesn’t have the ‘cahoonas’ to enforce the law,” he said, adding that the employers have successfully lobbied over the years for changes to immigration laws that never assist local workers.
Premier Alden McLaughlin recently stated that around 400 of the permit holders are domestics and many more are low paid posts. Speaking at the PPM National Council Meeting earlier this month, McLaughlin said sending the 1,500 or so TLEP holders home would not necessarily translate to jobs for Caymanians and the economy would suffer if 1,500 people were to all leave the island with their dependents on the same day.
However, Miller disagreed and said if the employers had been following the law, they should have had succession plans in place, and if they can’t find a Caymanian to hold the post currently held by a TLEP holder, as with any rollover situation in the past, the worker would have then been replaced with a new one.
Check back to CNS Monday for a closer look at the positions held by TLEP holders.
Category: Politics
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Congrats Mr. Miller,
You have took on what PPM promised, the hat goes off to you, so far you s the only one who the guts to do somethng about it.
When I thouhgt the main things were CUC, JOBS ( for Caymanians), FOOD GAS & WATER BILLS, they sure knows what to say when the time is right and we Caymanians don't learn, it's not about us Caymanians it's about all the money they earn as a MLA, which should be cut by 50% the bill don't matter to them cause they can ffford to pay it and what about the poor people who can't afford IT.
Thank you, Mr. Ezzard! I applaud your efforts and commitment to our fellow Caymanians.
You might remember me from previous articles (http://centos6-httpd22-php56-mysql55.installer.magneticone.com/o_belozerov/31115drupal622/headline-news/2010/02/10/million-dollar-residency#comment-53743AP).
My Fellow Caymanians, where one Caymanian stand WE should stand there too! Why?
Why indeed.
WE may not all agree on the best way to deal with Cayman's labour force problems or dealing with Cayman's current cost of living…BUT WE all can agree that there are serious problems.
With that said, we need to take a step back and look at where we stand on life itself – do We, as Caymanians, care enough to put our best foot forward to build a better Cayman for our children and their children to come. WE must be honest with ourselves.
Yes, Cayman the country will take care of itself, even if every job has to be given to an expat or every company has to be foreign owned – WE know that there are those in authority, regardless of the political climate, who shall make sure of that!
That aside, my fellow Caymanians, get it straight (as they say get the facts!), our economy's engine (so as to speak!) comes down to two (2) major plays for Cayman (and the World over!) to exist:
1. Companies – they are the core engine that brings profit to Cayman (and all countries the world over!);
2. Government – they are the administrators and heavies spenders of Cayman (and all countries the world over!);
…Always remember that order, my Fellow Caymanians, for without companies, governments would never generate enough taxes to pay its expenses, there would never be the kind of jobs here in Cayman, and don't forget, there would never be the kind of living standards either.
So, when you go looking for your next job, remember the MOST important player in this economy!
I am proud Mr. Ezzard has taken this position and ONLY hope there will be drive some day, to do the SAME drive for people to start and establish their own BUSINESSes, because WE all know this is the future of our islands (and the World!).
Unity is power!
'My fellow Caymanians'………….Just who do you think you are, your grandstanding monologue is as incompetent and as illogical as Ezzard's mission.
He knows only too well that his North Side junkies and drunks either can't or won't carry out and maintain lawful employment. Those who want to work and are honest and hardworking enough to keep employment are already doing so, the rest just rob from their own people's homes and marine parks or sit outside the Barn drinking 345 at everyone elses expense. Can you honestly see these people travelling to GT everyday, (including Sunday's) to keep a job? They already believe, (as many Caymanians do) that a 40 minute drive to town or to NS is like travelling to the moon.
He's not doing this for 'his' Caymanian people, after all they are the one's living in fear of being robbed if they speak out. NO, Ezzard is only thinking of himself and his expansive seat, he doesn't care for expats or his Caymanian constituents, because if he did he would confront those that he knows are committing the crime here on North Side and work with police to stop it.
Mr. Ezzard Miller
Here is a challenge to you. Why not have a Job drive? and by that I mean Pick a time and date. Let it be known that every “Caymanian” without work or on the so call “unemployment list”( which seem to grow by the thousands every day. One day it’s 1 thousand, next 2 thousand, now its thrown out there 3 thousands). Call every one out. Get your people ready to take the details. Simple resume type applicant’s details. Take a picture, file it and continue to the next one. Any person that claims to be without a job and can’t make the appointed time and date that you have set. And I don’t mean at a convenient time, I am referring to something like a Wednesday 10 am. Everyone in at the appointed time, close the door. Nobody leaves until they are documented. They will be documented as such. Caymanians, Children of Caymanian, married to Caymanian, status holders, and they will be listed as to what job they held in the past such as bartenders, and such. If they cannot show up before the door closes it simply means they cannot be offered a job. How can they be expected to be reliable if they can’t even show up to register? While all of this is going on ask immigration to hold every permit. Then when it’s all done. When you have convinced your Cayman people to come and work late and stay behind to help continue the registration and all the work involved, then you know you making a start. After that when the reality kicks in, and then you can go back to knowing what you already know. There will never be enough Caymanians to fill all the jobs. Just because someone applies for a job does not mean they are capable. Cayman is in trouble and people are leaving here, the only people that will be here are the few escapees Cubans that have found some idiot to marry to get them away from Cuba. Even the Jamaicans are smart enough to secure the British passports and telling their children to run away as far as they can and as fast. We have got to stop all this bull crap the good ship called Cayman is sinking very fast. It is the Caymanian business that is failing. What do you think it means to be an Entrepreneur? Its means starting a business and have someone work for you to make it as big as you can. You are killing the entrepreneurship in Cayman. You continue to tell the people that the jobs are supposed to be for them. I want you to start to tell the people to get educated. Tell them straight that if they don’t want to work, that there are millions of people willing to work. Stop tearing Cayman down. Please Sir, inspire your people, stop letting them become complacent. Do you think it’s all about finding a job, what about all the Caymanians that have been turn down by the system, how many have wanted to start a business and have permits denied? Those are the entrepreneur that we have given up on. If we allowed people to create business instead of every day telling them to look a job. Why not tell them to create a job if there is none.? I challenge you to make that “Job Drive” and after the facts, you are either for us or against us. This extremist position has got to stop. Yes I agree that the exodus could hurt, but I guarantee you that if you give the companies the opportunity to get replacements that they will buy the barrels to place the current employee and roll them over, and continue forward. Until Cayman has the structures to make the people capable and educated, you cannot be expecting every business to train them. What about the millions of people that dedicated themselves to be experts at whatever they chose to be educated in? Where will Caymanians train? Where are the facilities for them to start? Please stop making it seem that there are enough Caymanians to fill each and every position. Get the facts correct. Make a difference with facts. Cayman has failed its own people by telling them over and over that the white man has a duty to come here and run a business and to give Caymanians a job and train them and they don’t have to bother to abide by the rules. Everyone deserves a chance and in Cayman should be no different. Get the people educated and let them become entrepreneurs and such. The world is always waiting for someone to do something. Give Caymanians a future to be ready. While letting the business survive. If you run away all the business then all that will happen is there will only be a bucket full, and nobody to reach a hand to get whats left that moving in there.
anon 1915 quite a book in response. What should be done is just print it and use it as a guide. A lot of what you say in there is true but what I always find is the problem is that it is one sided. Your comments simple say that it is true that the Caymanians are uneducated and I personally know for a fact that it is simple not true. I will give you thatquite a number of those that say they are unemployed are in fact poorly educated. However there are caymanians out there educated and they get to deal with expats or caymanians that are working only the hire expats.
I clearly state 'unemployed' and 'unemployable'. That does not include those who are educated and cannot find work, however one has to ask that if you are educated why are you unemployed. Is it because those individuals refuse to work at any cost or are they over confident of their ability but don't have the requisite skills or experience, or are they already employed but want to move to another employer?
I do not say that Caymanians are uneducated, I merely point to the obvious sector who are, and they must be significant. However, with such disasterous maths results amongst your young people, one also has to ask where all of the educated people are. I would suggest that many leave these islands to gain further education, skills and experience, how can they compete otherwise?
Wow. That is pretty Arrogant – you have to leave your country to get training when the law requires employers provide training as a consequence of being granted work permits!!!
Try being a Caymanian going to the US and asking for a Greencard to get trained.
It's not arrogance to assume that to get experience you will need to look further afield. Education is not enough, you must gain the skill sets to be able to offer employers value for money. Specialist jobs need highly experienced people, anyone can work in a supermaket or store, you can train a monkey to do that. However, you can't just leave school and expect to be amongst the high earners, that takes time and possibly a wide range of career moves or progressions. Cayman simply doesn't have the quantity of business or range of industry to allow this to happen.
It's not arrogant, it's common sense.
About half way down your post I wondered out loud:
What is the best medication for schizophrenia?
Otherwise from that – your rant is a jumbled mass of cohesion…
You got half way?
The writer has madesome valuable input however, many have overlooked that Mr. Miller is taking the initiative and time to go through the list to discover whether there may be jobs that Caymanians can fill due to the crisis with unemployment. He is not advocating that all Caymanians need to fill these 1,500 jobs as a large number of them will continue to be occupied by non-Caymanians. He is trying to match existing unskilled labour with those unskilled jobs that are available. Not every job requires a degree and experience at times is more invaluable. Many years ago a bartender earned a very good wage and it was considered a coveted position within the tourism industry. Through the increase of doing business, these same jobs are no longer attractive as they cater to cheaper labour. The mighty United States has the very same issues as their own US owned companies operate outside of the USA for cheaper labour. What are they doing about it? They are trying to create an environment to attract these jobs back to the USA that means lower wage jobs will become more readily available for Americans. What's the alternative? Their social system is overwhelmed like Cayman.
Cayman's middle class has shrunk and the existing middle class cannot continue to carry the increase of fees to support the unemployed. We run the risk of losing good talent to other jurisdictions and not just foreign talent but qualified Caymanians as well.
Mr. Miller's attempt for job placement should be complimented and others should roll up their sleeves to assist him with his endeavour as Cayman's economic woes are far from over.
Education is critical and the business staffing boards need to ensure succession planning so that our children can find jobs that create value in society that will in turn create entrepreneurship.
My Caymanian brother, your post is a credit to yourself and your people. At last, someone who realises that employment is based upon merit and not entitlement, it's a shame that others don't follow your call to arms.
The idea of a jobs drive is admirable and definitley acheivable, however wouldn't a permanent 'Job Centre' be more effective. This could take the shape of an online or shop front based facility that collates all employment vacancies, matching those registered as unemployed with appropriate jobs.
This would assist in two ways, firstly it would ensure that all those who claim out of work benefits must register and be interviewed before benefit is paid out. Secondly, it will also give you an accurate unemployment figure, and it would monitor the standard of applicant to the available employment market. In other words, those who are registered will have to prove that they are adequately educated and experienced enough to offer the potential employer value for money.
The centre should impose, (by law) a covenant on all new employees to remain in 'matched' employment for at least one year before attempting to change jobs and at least two years before unemployment benefits are payable. The centre should also require employers of 'matched' employees to supply a quarterly performance report for the first year and report any acts of misconduct immediately. This report process will enable the centre to monitor their clients and ensure that the employer is indeed getting the employee that he needs to maintain his business performance levels.
Cayman doesn't need busy body, self important, grandstanding MLA's to look for work, they should be given the facility to apply for work that is appropriate to their ability. It is beyond doubt that there is work available for those who wish to work, however there are a large proportion of the so called unemployed who are unemployable. Drink, drugs and a poor education leave many in a hopeless state, but giving them state money to sit around doing nothing is not the answer.
To those who whine about expats taking all the jobs, well if you've got nothing to hide then registering in a government backed jobs centre seems the most sensible way forward. However, I would bet my life savings that those same whiners won't want the government to have the real numbers and the standard of this unemployed workforce out there on public record. Because like Ezzard's interference, it will only demonstrate that Cayman needs the outside workforce to maintain its economy, without it Cayman's future is very bleak indeed.
Why focus on TLEP permit holders? They are the most experienced therefore the most qualified of all permit holders.
I thought those were Key Employees!
Have you checked the list showing all the occupations granted TLEP status? Whilst you do have a point, many of these posts are for typically Caymanian occupations, and unskilled positions. You're not telling me that there aren't some Caymanians out there who could fill such positions – and I'm an expat!
Can anyone tell me what Ezzard has done to CREATE job in North Side since he has been an MLA? Is he making it easy or desirable for developers or companies to do work in NS? Has he done anything about the crack problem in NS? Or about the theft and robbery to support said drug problem? Or the drunk drivers every weekend speeding down the road?
Ezzard will brag and boast that he doesn't take a penny from the government, but maybe you should be working with them for the good of your people. I am all for trying to create jobs and increase employment levels for Caymanians, but what makes Ezzard such an expert that he thinks he can look at work permits and decide there are Caymanians for the position? I personally have no beef with Ezzard and am glad he keeps the government honest, but this seems like just another ploy to get his name in the paper and fake that he is actually doing something.
Like it or not Caymanians work for and live off of expats. If expats go everything else follows and enough of them have just left and are leaving shortly to tell the tale Caymanians can not see for themselves. Prices everywhere on the island have just gone up yet again. Not just Caymanians are paying for the past excesses of CIG leadership but expats too. Everyone. But all that money just went to Caymanians. It payed for the Civil service tribe. It payed for their gas cards. It payed for their paved driveways. It payed every day for jobs that were never done. It bought food, clothes, cars, electronics, airfare, 5 star hotels and fine dining, It payed for medical bills, pension payments, drivers and house keepers, and it payed for things that were never recorded. Unautitable things. Court cases and settlements. Corruption and fraud. All that money came from off island. Without expat businesses and customers what does Cayman have to sell? Most of the land is already owned by non Caymanians, Before the Caymanians on Cayman loses all their credibility and ability to survive ask yourselves this; How will we survive without expats. How many of you can live with no government jobs.? While your thinking about this Expats are thinking of the many other places in the world that are really business friendly and not just pretending. They are thinking that they should go where their money goes twice as far, buys twice as much and the taxes are spent on those who payed them. Cayman is close to reaching the point of no return. Unsustainablility. Is Cayman leadership up to the task? Without blaming the UK for not saving them from themselves? The past is the best indicator of the future. Plan accordingly.
Like it or not, Caymanian are tired of this confusion of expats and Caymanians. Nobody is begging anyone to stay here and it is time some law and order be in place in regards to who remains here permanently.
Who will take care of all these unskilled workers when they are too old to work?
Who is to be blamed for the Caymanians not being educated?
Businesses that claim theyare operating for 35 years what have they done to provide jobs for Caymanian and train them on the job?
These expats that say they will leave Cayman and others will follow, I am sure they are here because they were not abe to do as well in their own country.
Maybe work permit holders need to read the terms on the work permit form.
Nobody likes changes, but better must come. We cannot continue to run this island and allow others to tell us what to do and continue to live among people who continue to insult the local people. Friend or no friend there must be something in place for those of us who call Cayman our home. There are many who want to enjoy what is justly ours.
Go in Peace
"Who is to be blamed for the Caymanians not being educated?"
Umm, I wonder who that could be…….perhaps Caymanians?
I think Mr. Miller was referring to "cojones" which is spanish for testicles! But you know the Caymanian translations is "cahoonas"
I agree that an audit of the 1500 positions should have been done before they are granted a right to apply for residency BUT it is my understanding that the majority of those jobs are low-skilled jobs that Caymanians are not willing to take. So all the Caymanians can clap and cheer for Mr. Miller's stand on this but the cold truth is that the majority of the jobs Caymanians are too proud to take even though they are constantly complaining that they have "been looking for a job for a long time and can't find one", actually the statment should be "I have been looking for a job and can't find the one that I like and that I am comfortable with". Do you see Caymanians as domestics? Another issue for business owners are that unfortunately a lot of Caymanians have this "entitlement" attitude so they hire the Caymanian, before long they are calling in sick and being off from work days at a time, they show up late, they are not working up to standard and then when management speaks to them, they kiss their teeth and walk off claiming they don't have to take this sh*t and they can find another job. The employer hires an expat, who knows that because they are on work permit if they want to stay they have to perform and they do and they are usually an outstanding employee but then they get rolled over because some politician has decided that a Caymanian can do the job and the scenario above repeats itself. Caymanians, this is your country so I agree that you should be able to find a job in your own country however you have to do your part: 1. Get and education, make sure you are qualified for the job you want. 2. Having the right attitude will get you places so when you have a job do it to the best of your ability. 3. Show up on time and consistently. When you are armed with these things any politician can then fight for your right to hold a job in your own country. And for all those who know that they are not in the category I described above of having an "entitlement attitude" don't bother to give the thums down because as Bob Marley says "if the cap fits wear it" otherwise if you know it doesn't apply to you ignore it.
Finally a MLA member is doing something to solve the labour problems in Cayman. You all said 100 days? Your time is up. At least we have Ezzard trying to solve these problems. Come on fellows time is money.
You don't really believe these employers are trying to help solve Cayman's problems do you? If they were trying to solve the problem they would offer the obvious solution wouldn't they? Wait maybe they really don't know how to get Caymanians to come to work and be loyal? Well let me help you , " money" .
Money is what you're trying to get right? The Caymanian people are the same. How stupid does one have to be to think that people would work for less then the cost of living? 20-30 years ago a 1 bedroom apt was 200-250 per month and elect. was 40 bucks. We were making 1000 per month in the tourist industry. Now employers are offering the same and rent is 600-1000 dollars per month elect. is 150-240 per month get real.
If you a@#$%^es don't start paying proper wages PARADISE will be lost. We will be like the rest of the world that thinks this crap is going to work .
The new trick there are using is to hire part time and not pay half of the medical insurance. YOU have to pay all of it and the pension. Can you imagine some people are just barely paying there subsistence food ,rent elect, etc. THANK YOU EZZARD at least you are doing something.
Talking, promising,farting in the wind. Listining to you. Does not actually do anything. Working hard at your job. Getting things finished. Proving yourself with your work ethic. That gets things done. How many jobs has Mr. Millar created with all his talk? How many employers have you made happy? End of story. Get to work. Be responsible for yourself. Or get out of the way.
00.17…a minor economics lesson. If the salaries increase to higher levels, so do the toruist prices. Less tourists come as a result. Less jobs..and oh, back where we started.
Minor economics I think we have to look at diminishing return. Tourist would give more tips if prices for food and overall cost of living would go down? Why does the price of everything keep going up everyday to the extent of not being able to pay for basic needs? So maybe we need to downsize some of the businesses that are blocking this ability to maintain the middle class.
I for the life of me can't see how 300 rest., 60 beauty parlours, 200-300 cabs, 100 busses and more new businesses can survive selling the same thing as the other guy sells ,can keep this up without driving wages below cost of living. Something has got to give.
Isn't it true that since Flagship stores closed that whatever they were selling would now be bought at the remaining other stores? Wouldn't that allow the other stores to make more profit? Will those stores who make that profit give more salaries or commissions to their staff?Then the problem is not higher salaries its competition!! That is what's taking away the decent salaries. Competition is driving the owners to cut costs by hiring cheaper staff.
The only way this is going to work is getting more tourists on the island by cruise ships!!!!!!!! The piers must be built!!
It would be nice just to have all Caymanians and those with PR working, contributing and supporting their families. I have to say that I am very surprised that the PPM has chosen to do this but I guess I thought they would be different. Very sad. I guess I will continue to be an unemployed accountant for another year or so.
Get a job in a bar if you really want to work. Stop whining and get out there!!
i want a list of companies who have be been proven to discriminate against caymanians……..
i'm sick of hearing of these pantom stories about 'degree qualified caymanians' who are 'refused' jobs……zzzzzzzzzzzz
For something to be proven it would require a functioning regulatory system!
Don’t be fooled by ol’ Ezzard. With him it’s all about concentrating power in his own hands. Has everybody forgotten what he was like as a member if Exco?
Typical politician who uses nationalism to inflame tensions. But it is all about himself and his own power at the end of the day.
Why stop at TLEPs? What about the other 20,000 work permits, many of which have been granted without the law being followed?
Thats next on the CIG adjenda.
And you wonder why you can't get that high-paying job being held by an expat that you feel you should have. Maybe it has something to do with an "adjenda" after all.
Too many hard working Caymanians with good resumes and references are being passed by. It is TRUE. I know it is hard if a white collar nice expat has been int he job for four years but the LAW is the LAW and the NWDA is powerless and useless.
We need what the politicians PROMISED us at election time!!! They said no more rubber stamped work permit approvals, but still NO-One is watching the Fox in the Hen-House.
The white collar firms are still playing the same game. The law firms play their politics while qualified Caymanians in the legal field are foreced to work in other jobs. The qualified accountants are given only lip service infterviews, the IT Caymanians with university degrees and expereince are ignored too. The administrators are not even asked to interview! There are simply no checks and balances at all.
Sorry folks, but not every Caymanian wants to be a security guard or hotel worker. We SHOULD have first shot at these jobs as we cannot work overseas and why should we have to? We should be trained to shawdow overseas employees too! (What ever happened to Section 6 and linited permits with identified and maned Caymanian placements?)
Until our 2,000 unemployed (and willing!!!) Caymanians are employed, I would not renew even ONE of the 20,000 work permit renewals. What I say for TLEP? Have a nice year off, thanks for stopping by. If we allow more PR and Status due simply to time, we will have a bigger problem and 3,000 unemployed qualified Caymanians.
It is simple: to approve a TLEP, simply PROVE no Caymanians have applied for your job. This will take care of the domestic helper and low wage issue – period. The proof is in the paperwork. We JUST NEED TO START FOLLOWING OUR OWN RULES INSTEAD OF BREAKING THEM.
Mr. Miller, please scream a little louder. I do not think Tara, Roy, and Winston can hear you and THIS was a pillar of their election promise.
"We should be trained to shawdow overseas employees too! ".
There it is. see exactly the mentality. Its the white man fault. Why do you not demand your goverment to train you and have you ready for the job. Do you really belive that after I paid so much and dedicated so much of my life to learn that I have an obligation to turn around and train you? Not today bo bo. Get off your backside and do what I had to do. In fact if you want somthing to cheer about, make the first clap when an education facility is in place to offer the proper training. Imagine an educated Plumber ,has all the degrees, studied and pass, gets employed by a nice west bay young business man. He gets a permit, his business improves to the point where he needs more workers, he goes through the process, advertise, DER, He gets applicants both local and expats. Hires a caymanian, dont have any clue about plumbing, has no interest, no care, no skills. But poor old west bay guy thinking he doing the best thing. Business starts to fail, decides to apply permit for another qualified plumber, is then told to go DER, But NWFD say they dont have qualified canidates, but being caymanian is better than being qualified. So Permit continue to be differed. WB man decides then to hire the "un qualified" caymanian with hopes that the new Plumber will be able to show the ropes to the caymanian. You see where this is going? PERMIT denied for new plumber. Business stuck with untrained caymanian. Now caymanian hangs around, gets few days off, complaints hit the roof. customers start to complain. They start to move on, WB man has to work late to make up. Family time is limited, bills start to back up. caymanian employee does not show up, they cant be bothered that the business fail. WB boy has 2 caymanian children, has his grand mother and other family he supporting. Now the whole process has let him down. All because he was told being caymanian is better than being qualified. Now at least 6 caymanians are out of food. dont ask me how many caymanians I have working. ask me first how many caymanians that I am supporting off of one expat. But the story does not end there. After the qualified plumber has to leave the business, we find out that he has his own business, but not really, someone with a better contact has applied for the permit and has been approved, no conditions. And poor old WB boy has to go put his name on the list DER. Starting the whole process all over again. lets note that he was not qualified, but seen the benifits of hard work and became a plumber. Never the less, not qualified. His only chance in the future will always be to work for himself to feed his family. Can he prove to an employer that he is a qualified plumber?
Caymanians years ago worked very very hard and especially those in the Tourist areas. This is why we have an Island where the whole world wants a piece of. We made it a good Island and the people did not have to race for jobs or kiss as.es for jobs either. We are not accustomed to the ranting and fighting over jobs. But it is the most and the worst IdeaI ever heard of. Just imagine giving our heritage away after 8 years. Please dont tell me like they are saying that most of them wont get Residence that applies rubbish. We have some of the mst silly people who serve on boards that can be bought most of the time. I am suggesting to all Politicians to please give back a portion of your check to hell look after the. Alot of them dont own a home or a piss pot, someone please tell me where are we going to get the funds from to give them the Government grant like what some of us recieve. TAXATION round the corner BO BO .
True true. Only true born Caymanian should get their hands on the welfare!
Seeing as so many Caymanians have married outside Cayman, or their families originated from outside Cayman, what is a "True Born Caymanian"? The days of having a "Caymanian" surname as being a a qualifier for acknowledgementof being "Caymanian" have long gone.
I always get a laugh when explaining to a supposed "true born Caymanian" that their great=-great-great-great grandfather was a sheep shagger from Wales (Ebanks).
If you have to reach as far back as their 4th great grandfather was from Wales for foreign connection then they are indeed a true born Caymanian!
And he was white.
The world wanted a piece of Cayman's tax haven status, the locals, friendly or otherwise, were irrelevant. And if this is your heritage, you ain't got a heritage.
I am so sick and tired of hearing about how Caymanians aren't being given jobs……what about housekkeepers, cashiers, fast food restaurants, THE MAJORITY ARE BEING HELD BY NON CAYMANIANS…in other words WORK PERMIT HOLDERS…this has been going on from time of memorial…is immigration going to turn work permits away from Kirk's? I DON"T THINK SO….l
You seem to be the kind of foreigner who is irrelevant to us 06:27, the kind we would rather be without. Perhaps you will do us a favour and return from whence you came.
Your so called 'heritage' is based upon recent successive waves of immigration from Central and South America, the local Carribean region and originally from the UK. When the Cayman Islands expanded in the sixties the population was a tiny fraction of what it is now. The only way that commerce and industry could expand was through immigration and the recruitment of foreign labour. The entire wealth of this country was built upon the backs of cheap labour and the expertise that came from abroad.
So please spare us the pathetic myth of Caymanian heritage and hard work, without immigration and foreign workers this place would still be a sleepy back water in the middle of no where. Foreign institutions and money enabled Caymanians to exploit their limited resources and finance infrastructure and construction projects. Turtle catching and limited agricultural production just wasn't going to do it.
"where are we going to get the funds from to give them the Government grant like what some of us recieve". Sad
Thank God for Ezzard!!
Yes i agree, thank God for Ezzard.
What i have to say about this whole situation is, what part does our labour department play, other than destroy small businesses and penalise them for employees complaints.
As far as i'm concern that department was farcely sat up by our perpetrators…the elected Governments.
I say shut it down and let the private sector set up a commission to place people in jobs.
As long as we have to depend on permit fees, no government is going to look out for the locals to find jobs.
I agree with Ezzard only on one point, and that is requesting the immigration department for the categories of jobs held by the special permit holders in a bid to find out if unemployed locals could do any of the jobs.But I'm sure the Premier has that in mind, but Ezzard sames to have a thing for Permit holders. Now lets look at the big picture, and say that the Premier throw is hands up in the air and says, roll the 1500 people on permit over in October.Now lets pause and think…..Wait a minute those 1500 Jobs position they had consist of Nanny's, Bartenders, Gardeners, Domestic Workers, Chefs, Pump Attendants, Supermarket Workers, Workers at Restaurants, and the list goes on.The above list are all consider Unskilled Jobs. My question now is, how many Caymanians are willing to take those type of Jobs? My second question is, who are going to rent the Apartments that would in the end need Tennants. Third question, what must the Companies do now when some of them might lose 5 employee's or even ten at one time due to this massive rollover? How quickly can Caymanians fill these Jobs and keep those Business flowing and the Apartments rented?
Now are you telling me that the Premier should not try to put this mass exodus to bed before October? Mr. Miller, please think carefully of what you and some of the Caymanians wishing for, it maybe one of the greatest mistakes you and your fellow Caymanians wishes for. And I'm sure there are a lot of Caymanians that agree with the Premiers position on the 10yrs term limit, with the chance to applyfor residency, but that don't mean that an individual would get through or even consider applying for any in the first place. Many of them might rather go home after the ten years to be with their families. So to think of it, it's good plan Premier Alden workout, for the good of the Caymanians, and the expatrates alike.
Live Free….
There never would have been an exodus if the jobs are real. Everyone would have been immediately replaced, and everyone has had 2 years to find replacements,
Allowing TLEP holders to stay is a BIG mistake. We need to stand by our laws and enforce them firmly and fairly.
You think Mr. Millar is capable of thinking of the whole island? He is only interested in his tribe. If the island goes to hell and his tribe is working in this hell he is happy. Alden is the same, He just has a bigger tribe to feed. Expats have no tribal rights here. They are the fruit on the cayman islands tree that everyone else feeds off of. Each tribe wants to chop off the tree and take it back to their village so they don't have to share. If only they were loyal to the tree and took care of it like they do their tribes the tree would bare more fruit. But they can not see the tree. Only ME, ME, ME!
You are talking like the only caymanians without jobs are only the so called unskilled? there are many educated caymanians without jobs in cayman!! The government needs to start by cutting permits from the big companies so that the many qualified Caymanians without work can get a chance The problem we have is no one is willin to fight our people, but that is why we the people must rise up and bring about changes like people have done in other parts of the world change has never come about by politicians the people have always force their hands! Think about this if we dont take that stand in these times what will it be like for your children and your childrens childrens ?????/ We cannot and must not let continued marginanlization and victimization of our people continue We must take and now is the time
Where are all of these highly educated Caymanians that are unemployed, where are the official statistics?
Just another paranoid rant by another isolationist idiot.
Let them leave. Slap a 40% expat-only income tax on all that stay and double the cost of a work permit. It's the only way to take Cayman back.
Great idea…shall we start turning out the lights now? Offhsore industry would go to Bahamas or BVI overnight where the price of doing business is reasonable..
Honestly, 21:19 you seem to make many assumptions without even knowing the job categories. I am certain that not all are unskilled positions. Yet, no Caymanian, nor you for that matter, will have the chance to know if Caymanians will be interested.You people come up with the most incredible stories in order to justify discriminating against the Caymanian people. You are now stretching the vision to see empty apartments! Scare tactics such as that are disgusting.The fact is that those apartments will be rented to others who will undoubtedly come to our shores because everyone, from almost every corner of the earth, seem to want a piece of the Cayman pie and all are getting it except Caymanians. Nevermind though … a new day is dawning though, change is acoming.Trus mi bout dat!
Now that Civil service is so packed with non performers it barely functions and loses millions its time to work on screwing up private businesses so they can look better. Losing the private business vote so they can get the unemployable vote and making life that much harder for the rest of us. If only your loyalty was to the island instead of just your tribe maybe you would be able to see what your going to do to what ever businesses are still here. But no.
I thank God every day for Mr. Miller. It seems he is the only one who has ever cared about Caymanians and the fact that unemployment is killing us and if we cannot get work here there is something drastically wrong with the whole big picture. If 1500 people and their dependants leave the island it cannot be any worse for the economy than the fact that many qualified, honest, capable, dependable Caymanians are out of work and therefore to them it is already a terrible economy. The uneployment rate is further complicated by the fact that good Caymanian men and women who may have made a simple mistake in their ealry years and got a blemish on their record are still being punished forever by the fact that not even Govt departments such as PTU will give them licenses even though they have been clean and sober for years and have paid the price a million times over. I am sure Mr. Miller can help rectify this issue because I know for a fact he cares and is willing to go against the grain to put Caymanians first. Thank you Mr. Miller. I for one am counting on you.
Good Ezzard! You also need to look at the businesses which cannot afford to pay Caymanians but are allowed to get permits to bring in workers from overseas. These businesses need to be closed down and should not be granted a business license.
What a great plan! More jobs for sure with that one.
And why do you think we can't pay Caymanians?? some of us been in business for the last 35 years.
The problem with this country is that it is swamped with small businesses. mostly ran and own by civil servants.
All of us were doing great until the late 90s when government introduced manatory pension and health.
The haunting problem ,caymanians jealously envy and disrespectful of their own people in business.
They do not want to work for us. It is a two sided coin.
I agree with Mr. Miller in regards to his move on helping Caymanian get jobs. I've been looking for a job and I've found that the Cayman Islands have jobs, but if you don't need a work permit you will not get the job. If I was not a Caymanian, I would not change my status from work permit to non work permit as it only cause you to end up with no work. Caymanian now have to think about leaving the Cayman Islands in order to find a job. All the recruitment companies here in Grand Cayman only look out for work permit holders. 99% of the companies outsourced the human resources work to the recruitment companies. To cut back on time spend on probation period process within the company. Allowing the recruitment companies, to gain this benefit and Caymanian are with out a job. The Cayman Islands Government need to look into all the fake documents provided by the work permit holders in order to get the jobs. There so many small companies here on island, with one or non Caymanian working in the office. The new Cayman Islands government need to make a change to help Caymanians get jobs that are out there and not just give those jobs to work permit holders bacuse the government need funds. I'm pushed out of a company after over five years for a work permit holder to get my job.
How can you expect to be recruited into a responsible employers business if you can't even write a simple post without making fundimental errors in spelling and punctuation.
Posts like this only serve to demonstrate the dreadful standard of education on these islands and the problems faced by employers who are forced to consider non-Caymanian workers. The service industry is always in need of staff, however some Caymanians think they are smarter than they really are and refuse to accept placements that foreign workers will gladly fill.
It's simple supply and demand, if the unemployed really wanted to work or were employable in the first place, then expat labour wouldn't be needed. Cayman's local labour is notorious for its poor work ethic and its blind sense of entitlement, mainly within Caymanian owned businesses.
As for Ezzard's latest political stunt, he would do well to get hold of his feral constituents and stop them from destroying our peaceful environment. Why would an uneducated junkie or drunk want to have a job that imposes restrictions on them when they can go about robbing and thieving from local homes or sitting outside the Barn whilst getting $400 from CIG for doing nothing?
He knows who they are, as do the rest of North Side, do your damn job Ezzard and stop grandstanding. The decent people of North Side already have an education and a job, take your pathetic ploy somewhere else, better still, retire and let someone who really cares for their people, (and not themselves) take over.
XXXX
'fundimental'…..?
Really, is that all you could find to say, a simple typo? Okay, to please you, fundamental.
Happy now?
Ezzard is right.
Where is the economic or social benefit to Caymanian of the 1500 TLEP holders staying in Cayman?
Not only is he upholding the spirit and letter of the law, he is also making good on his promise to stand up for the Caymanian people who voted him in.
On the other hand, who can wrong Ezzard for trying to get his North Side people employed?
We can only hope the other elected members follow this example of statesmanship as only then will we be able to replace failing people and failing systems with strong people and systems that work for the benefit of Caymanians.
Welcome to the Native / Ancestral Caymanian Revolution, Long Live the Revolution.
Handle your busniess Ezzard & God Speed with the much needed results your people are behind you & so are those non Natives who Truly Love & Respect this Great Country !!
Because revolution has worked out so well in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon,…….. : )
Ezzard that's right, alot of them can be rolled over !
Good on you Ezzard and kudos to you. You will be definitely having a lot of support in this department and those who are not happy can jolly way go home. There is always somebody to replace them. The queue is endless. Companies arriving here, getting rich and some of their oversees employees and making no contribution to the society in which they are living in is ridiculous. The only time you see them supposedly helping this society is when they want to join Voluntary organisation, i.e. walking dogs and adopting Caymanian children to whom they have no affliation with or cultural understanding just so they can stay in a small ISLAND (NOT COUNTRY REMEMBER). Ezzard you also need to start targetting the Uncle Tom Caymanians who are exploiting the work permit situation and selling their birth right for short term fame and leaving their fellowperson behind. Disgraceful. Then you have suppose glossy magazine with Whose Who (in their own personal head) showing what contributions they have made to charities for soley show piece. Absolutely disgraceful. This has been a long time coming when somebody has some real b"""s and actually put their mouth into action. Unemployment rife, crime high, young people unable to get work in their own country even Obama for goodness sake has requested for change. Can't see why this country can't start rallying together and help each other rather than supporting oversees persons who are here today and gone tomorrow and on top of it are here to get rich and take their money with them.WAKE UP CAYMAN AND SMELL THE COFFEE YOU ARE BEING SHAFTED. Ezzard whilst there check who gave people resident status has now their are in the system and bringing on board their friends and foe and now foot in the door they are snobbing the very Caymanians who got them there in the first place. 60% Caymanian and 40% foreign investment should be looked at seriously. I could go on and this discussion is being held in every community, social scene, etc and finally there is somewhat a glimmer of hope. Hopeful change and no selling for 30 pieces of silver. I REST MY CASE
And that's a great example of why Cayman needs educated expats to ensure competent commerce and service. Try getting an education, learn to read and for heavens sake buy a dictionary, (or use spell check) because illegible diatribes just confirm the need of employers to look for outside help.
Employment is based upon hard work and merit, it is not a birthright or an entitlement, it is for the individual to ensure that they can compete in a vibrant jobs market. Cayman needs to understand that the best person for the job should get the job. This concept applies to almost every western society and ensures that performance, productivity and service levels are maintained at the very highest levels.
Those Caymanians who covert the best positions must be able to match foreign competition if they are to succeed. Being Caymanian is just not good enough when employers are looking for specific skill sets and experience. Without them employers end up with the stagnating laziness and poor service qualities that are so prevalent in both large and small businesses throughout Cayman. You only have to stand in a bank queue or deal with the CIG Civil Service to understand my point, entitlementhas created a disinterested and lethargic work force who care little for the people they serve.
And finally, many of the unemployed you speak about are quite simply unemployable for various reasons. Those who are employable must be ready to accept any form of employment, and herein lies the problem. Caymanians are grossly under represented in the service industry, this is why Cayman has such a huge number of expat's employed in this sector. Until Cayman's unemployed accept that they can't all be rocket scientists, (or bankers, lawyers etc…) then foreign labour will always be necessary, especially if they fail to perform to high expectation.
I'm all for employing local labour Ezzard, but not at any cost. Try spending more time sorting out the issues blighting North Side, including the unemployable junkies that are raiding honest, hardworking constituents property and that of tourists that bring so much income to this island. Stop finding new crusades to garner cheap votes and get on with doing what your mandate requires, supporting those you represent.
Whilst I generally agree with you, there is one issue it would be good to hear from you on. What western society of which you speak do eloquently, forces its own population to compete on an equal footing with every foreign national of every country on earth for any position in its own domestic economy?
You wouldn’t be suggesting for a moment that law firm partners who recently got status are openly helping expats get into fronting arrangements would you? I mean, if they were, would they not be imprisoned and deported? That is a crime, with very serious consequences in our laws and so it cannot be true!
"You will be definitely having a lot of support in this department and those who are not happy can jolly way go home. There is always somebody to replace them. The queue is endless."
And you wonder why these unemployable Caymanians have trouble finding work…..
Thank you Ezzard.
same old story from ezzard……. if any caymanian thinks they have been discriminated against…they have a number of boards/authorities they can approach…..
Seriously?
Please, go ahead and get an FOI at Immigration for any job applied for. Guess What? Caymanian resumes and cover letters NEVER make it to the Immigration or Business Staffing Boards! Nope, the rules are bent and the laws not followed. All major companies submit a letter stating no suitable Caymanians were found and the expat permit is rubber stamped.
The process is broken and too many qualified Caymanians with college degrees are being passed by.
Business leaders and decision makers: Shame on you! Your attitude of keeping expats employed while hard working Caymanians knock on your door should give you sleepless nights, but the lack of empathy from the white collar world is astounding! This is your fault.
Every company and firm on this island should be recruiting on their own and seeking out Caymanians, not finding reasons to keep expats. Shame on you if you hold even one permit- Karma is a …..
more hot air from ezzard… maybe he should ask employers about what they think?
ezzard, stick to the radio rants….you were excluded from government for a reason!
Have to agree with Ezzard on this one!
Thank God for Ezzard Miller.
I agree with Mr. Miller and I hope those Caymanians out there looking for jobs will embrace this oppurtunity and don't let him down, matter of fact, don't let us down. I wish you every success in this endeavour.
They have let you and all their past employers down so much in the past that they are now considered unemployable for all the right reasons. If you have to get some one like Millar to get you a job by taking it away from a loyal and good employee then you don't deserve it. Get out there and get a job on your own, prove your worth, and show up on time every time just like everyone else has to. Then you deserve it. Then every one will wish you continued success.
This is exactly what needs to be done. Good for Ezzard. When will we get it through our heads that everyone here from other countries is not a good person and we should not be fighting for everyone to stay. In fact I wish we could also have a good clean-up of status holders who should never have been allowed to stay in the past.
Ah, speaking of status grants, how about we get a list of the names of everyone who was here for less than 5 years when they got a grant and compare it to who their real estate agent or employer was? That would be interesting reading, would it not?
This place is so corrupt and no- one seems to give a damn.
Although I don't disagree with what Mr. Miller is trying to do, who will compensate those companies who will be losing a trained, deditcated employee, when that Caymanian decides after 1 week/1 month that they don't actually want to work weekends/ public holidays/for $1,500 a month and quit. If even still who don't turn up for work on time, take numerous sick days etc.
Ezzard is of course absolutely right, again – and CNS, what are needed are Cajones (I am not certain what Cahoonas are, but I know I do not want our leaders to have them. Bradley Manning perhaps, but not my representatives).
CNS Note: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cahoonas
good move Mr Miller — thats the way to start earning your pay
Why are we allowing all of these people to stay and apply for residency???? I just don't get this Government, why do we always have to bend and break the rules to please these people when they are the same ones who are here making it more difficult for Caymanians to get and keep a job? I work with a few expats and believe me, I would drink an entire bottle of rum straight from the bottle in celebration, if I ever learnt they were leaving this island.
And I would never employ someone who could drink an entire bottle of rum in one sitting, on his own, cos man, he's got a problem
You work?
Yeah and some of drink a bottle weekly due to working with the incompetent , lazy individuals that bring nothing to the table while at work…. Other than food of course. And I'm not talking about ex pats either. Not all, but most….
Expats have a home to go to. They should go. It is not as though Cayman is the size of Cuba.
I recommend that Ezzard be seconded to the NWDA for 3 months to do what the current Manager/Director is not doing and that's to HELP Caymanians find work. Then when he has cleaned up that mess, send him to Immigration for a 3-6 month secondment. What would be interesting to know is the number of persons who obtained jobs through the NWDA for the first six months of this year compared to the number of permits issued for the same categories for the same period.
As an employer I would welcome this initiative as this department is hopeless. Fail in the private sector but the CS employs you and promotes you in the public sector- as has happened with the clueless leader of this ineffective department. This is truly a circus and Caymanians are being used as the tight rrope and walked on daily.
For heavens sake, this island has a Caymanian population of 30,000+, (the size of a small town in most country's) and an unemployment figure of anything between 1500 and 2000. So it speaks volumes about the will to work if you need help to find employment within such a confined area. Remember, employment is based upon merit not entitlement.
Get off your butt and find work, you don't need someone to hold your hand, grow a pair and get out there.
Excellent initiative Ezzard. Proud of you today.
Typical, Ezzard stabbing loyal and trusted employees and contributors to the Cayman economy in the back so that he can maintain the votes of the blind and ill informed, shame on you.
Why doesn't he sort out the junkies and thieves that are making life for North Siders a misery. Why doesn't he stop the rape and destruction of our Marine Parks by poachers instead of poking his expansive nose into matters that shouldn't have his immediate attention. Why doesn't he sort out the death trap that is Rum Point Drive? Speeding and road surfacing should be on his agenda, not the jobs of those who work hard and are under appreciated by those they work on behalf of.
This is not good. Cayman, you are becoming very undesirable.
I thought it was the conduct of some employers and a lack of enforcement of our laws that was making some expatriates undesirable ?
This is going to be interesting to watch.
I would not 'gamble' on the PPM putting Mac in charge of anything…
It will be very interesting to see if these positions will be filled if the rate of payment is CI$5.00 – CI$8.00 or thereabouts. Caymanians will not work for this rate of pay. That is why the bar, tourist jobs etc. are not held by Caymanians.
The bar and tourist jobs, as every expat knows, pays closer to 20 dollars an hour. It is just that they are advertised at $5.00 an hour!
Ezzard should check to see what the actual pay of expats holding those positions has been, compared to what was advertised. That really would be fun!
Muppet, the job is $5 an hour, the rest is in grats.What should stop is the wrongful practice of adding grats to the final check. Grats should be for good service, not an automatic addition by the patron to subsidise their obligation for fair pay.
Being the genius that he is, Ezzard will find countless Caymanians able to do these jobs. BTW, what are "cahoonas"? Is this a North Side word?
Cahoonas http://www.cahoonas.co.uk
Well it did not take Ezzard long for another five minutes of fame!!!
I will hire them if:
1. They show up on time to work….not have their breakfast porridge on my time (eat breakfast at home)
2. They actually show up in proper work attire
3. They miss less then one day aweek with BS excuses (I have heard them all)
4. They actually come back to work after lunch (apparently no one packs lunches and it must be hot lunches from Fosters)
5. They do not threaten me with Labour Board BS when I fire them for missing 40 days of work in six months (not including the days that they just do not come back after lunch)
6. They agree to leave their cell phones in their back pack or lunch box.
7. They sleep at home and not at work.
Think I am telling stories….happened to me with not less than nine young Caymanians…..problem here is work ethic….rest of the world has one!!
Everyone talks about value for dollar…I can get two and a half Philpinos for the price of one Caymanian and they actually put in eight hours work for eight hours pay!!!!
Ezzard it is about economics my man, not some BS entitlement that you are trying to push.
By the way, when did you last have a REAL job?
FYI, I am Caymanian but would be out of business if I had to rely on the next generation of Caymanians (just like Roy stated in a letter to the editor of the paper a few years back)!!!
Point very well made!
You missed a few points , but in essence you sum up how hard it is to employ Caymanians. It is quite right for Ezzard to look at the facts, he is voted in to protect Caymanian interests, but he must address himself to the real issue as you have described, if he doesnt he is doing this just for the publicity and the end result will be the same, the "entitlement" culture persists when we should be pushing people to EARN the right to the job.
Just as businesses here are supposed to EARN the right to employ expatriates (speaking of entitlement culture)!
wish i could gives this thumbs up 100 times. I am Camanian and have this happen to me more times then I can count. Then I hear I only want to hire expats. I want ti hire someone that shows up on time does their job gets paid for working. Not picking their kids up from school not takeing an extra 30 minutes at lunch. Comes back to work on Friday after going to the bank at lunch.
And here I was thinking it was only me that this happened to. Maybe someone heard about this hapening and decide to make a story. Either way. This is real. This is the everyday life of a business in Cayman. ezzard knows this. When he was doing his deals he was well aware that he either showed up and open his shop or dog eat his supper.
"…so he can see how accurate the assumptions are that the jobs are ones that locals don’t want or are not qualified for…"
It would be refreshing to have this go forward on the basis of verifiable evidence instead of the usual head-in-the-sand bigotry.
Miller is the worst kind of nationalist whose poor grasp of how an economy works makes his sound-bite politics all the more dangerous.
Government HAS already done this!!
Just like a regular permit renewal, employers had to advertise for Caymanians before even applying for a TLEP. Had any suitably qualified Caymanians applied, the permit would not have been issued. (Anyone that doubts this has never dealt with Immigration).
Furthermore, TLEP holders are not simply going to be handed PR. They will need ANOTHER work permit even if they will at some point soon be eligible to apply for PR. And guess what, when the employer applies for that new work permit they will need to… ADVERTISE THE JOB AND CONSIDER CAYMANIAN APPLICANTS.
Ezzard cannot simply take it upon himself to circumvent the due process that work permit holders and employers are entitled to in the Immigration law.
What's he going to do if he finds a job he thinks a constituent could do? He has no authority as an MLA to deny a work permit or force a company to hire anyone. The only way the Caymanian could get that job would be to…. APPLY FOR IT WHEN IT'S ADVERTISED. Which they could do without Ezzard's help and which they would do without his help if they were truly motivated and suitably qualified candidates.
This is nothing more than the most cynical political bluster.
And what exactly are these "changes that employers have successfully lobbied for" to disenfranchise Caymanians??? Can he name one?
You are sadly misguided. I personally have seen and know of numerous instances where applications from Caymanians are not even reported to immigration when permits are applied for. What then?
Do not just thumbs down. Do tell me what you should think shoulld happen.
well then you follow up it up with the caymanian empolyment board(or whatever its called)…….
don't waste your time writing vague posts without specifics….
Provide a safe anonymous way to give details, and they will be given.
Why doesnt the Caymanian affected report the employer to Immigration then? It can be done – seen it happen.
And then the Board tells the employer that Johnny complained and the employer offers Johnny 1,000 dollars to withdraw his complaint or get nothing and never work in the town again! I’ve seen that happen too.
I am not the poster you are responding to, but he/she is absolutely correct.
Re your suggestion, and then what? Your existing employer finds out you were applying for a new job which you didn't get, and if the expat employee is already sitting in the new job the employer can appeal any refusal of the permit for the next 2 years. Obviously no one wants to be employed where they are not wanted and the employer will be out to prove his point why you were not selected in the first place.
This is a much more intractable problem than you believe.
What about the due process that Caymanians are entitled to under the immigration law?
Succession planning should start with CIG govt… quarter or fifth of CIG staff of are expats and there has never been any kind of proper planning to have them replaced by locals… I know this because I am an expat CIG worker myself and in over a decade here I have not had any locals to train to replace me… govt needs to start practicing what they preach.
Don't ask private sector to do something you are not willing to do yourself.
BTW the CIG jobs are here to stay so doesn't it make sense to advertise all jobs held by expats so locals(even students) know what areas to train for (or educate themselves in) to get a chance at a position held by expats???
And don't get me started with incompetent management and lack of accountability at high high places in CIG…
"I am an expat CIG worker myself". Yes, and I am Princess Diana. Give it up troll.
Is it me or I am just imagining things. Why do I see Ezzard looking out for his constituency, and I hear nothing from the other MLAs? Ezzard seems to be the only one really looking out for Caymanians. Ezzard for Premier!
I can't believe Government is contemplating this extension. Have they learned nothing?
Why do we bother to put laws in place if they are never enforced and constantly changed to make someone else happy?
What a brilliant man! Employment expert as well as MLA, is there no end to his talent? I am sure the tourist sector will be jumping for joy too!
Actual he knows what he is talking about. He was HR manager for a Big Four Accounting Firm and also served as Chairman of the Immigration Board.