DER investigating school site
(CNS): In the wake of yesterday’s revelations that a significant number of qualified Caymanian construction workers had lost their jobs at the Clifton Hunter school site in Frank Sound, the Department of Employment Relations issued a statement on Friday evening saying that it had already asked the Immigration Department to stop issuing work permits to Tom Jones International (TJI). An investigation into the hiring of affected workers is underway, it stated, and the DER is asking anyone affected by this to come to the office. (Left: Nolan Hydes the former Foreman of Moises Ltd talks to TV about the layoffs)
On Friday morning (9 April) Ezzard Miller, independent candidate for North Side, called a press conference in which he assembled a number of the workers who had lost their jobs and demanded an investigation into what was actually going on at the school site and who was and was not being employed. Following the subsequent media reports, the DER said that it was already aware of the job loses owing to the dispute between the General Contractor TJI and the local sub-contractor Moises Ltd whose contract was terminated on 26 March.
“Just over one week later, on 3 April the DER was informed that TJI would begin hiring the affected employees directly,” the DER stated. “On 8 April the DER requested TJI to produce all records of new hires, as well as copies of contracts of employment. Simultaneously the DER, requested the Immigration Department halt the issuance of any new work permits to TJI until a complete investigation into the rehiring process of the affected workers was conducted.”
The DER said that it first became aware of the situation on 12 March when Moises Ltd, provided 141 employees to the site, of which 53 were Caymanian and the remaining 88 were expatriates. Of the expatriate contingent, 17 persons were directly employed by Moises Ltd. The rest were sub-contracted labour from other licensed construction companies.
Director, Lonny Tibbetts is now appealing to all employees affected by the dispute to contact the DER as soon as possible, so that their present employment status as well as their entitlements under the Labour Law can be ascertained. “It is the aim of the DER to ensure that the re-employment of Caymanians on the site takes priority and the best interest of the affected employees takes precedence,” he said.
The details of the dispute between TJI and Moises are still unclear however, some of the workers told CNS yesterday they believe that TJI has accused Moises of overcharging the general contractor for the hours the men have worked and consequently stopped paying Moises, who was then unableto pay the sub-contracted labour. The potential problems regarding this development were predicted last year by others in the construction business as the bid on this and the John Gray High redevelopments were considered to be very low.
Steven Hawley, President of the Cayman Contractors Association told CNS in June that low bids should always raise eyebrows. “Profit margins in the construction industry are quite small,” he added. “If a contractor offers a bid that is as little as 10% below the other bidders, that suggests that he plans to complete the project at a loss to himself, which, of course, he would be very unlikely to want to do.”
TJI’s winning bid for the construction of the new John Grey High School was some 35% lower than the next bidder. Ian Pairaudeau, General Manager of McAlpine Limited, which has been operating in Cayman form more than 35 years, also said he believed it would be hard for TJI to complete the two schools for the price offered and it could be that subcontractors might suffer. “I am worried that local subs that work on that project could end up in trouble but the government is getting a very good deal,” he said, adding that should the project meet financial trouble it will be the government and public money in this case that will be used to bail anyone out.
The DER can be contacted on 945-3114 and is located on the 2nd Floor, Royal Plaza Building, Cardinal Ave, George Town.
Category: Headline News
Dear Multi Generation Caymanian,
I would have believed you when you say "they cannot find jobs, they are displaced in opportunities by many who come here, they are spoken to with the disdain and condescending attitude" had I seen a single Caymanian employed or seeking employment as a caregiver, nanny or household helper (but, Jamaican and Philipino people are imported for thosepositions). Or had I seen a single Caymanian employed or seeking employment in landscaping or yard work (all performed by Jamaicans). Or had I seen a single Caymanian serving at the hundreds of restaurants (there are some Caymanian cooks, but servers tend to be permit holders).
Your impressions are that Caymanians are treated condescendingly; my impressions are that too many Caymanians consider it condescending or demeaning to work at positions that require manual labour and want the office job. Those Caymanians who have sufficient education and the requisite professional attitude to work at office or other jobs are in fact employed. I interact with them all the time and they are pleasant, helpful and kind. There are positive obligations on businesses to employ Caymanians if a position can possibly be filled by one, so why wouldn’t any business hire a Caymanian if one is available and capable for the position? I have also interacted with those who feel that it is their birth right to be paid a large wage and who will consider a request to perform a task (such as a photocopy) as a great offense to their dignity. Not surprisingly, those people do not remain employed. Nor would such people remain employed in any country in the world.
I do not feel disdain toward Caymanians or any people or race. Where I come from bigotry or disdain to a fellow human being just because of their race or ethnicity is a very bad thing. I do however confess to feeling disdain to "Your One-solution Caymanian" whoever he may be and anyone else who shares those views.
You on the other hand have demonstrated a condescending attitude just by the fact that you view expats as "guests". No civilized nation considers persons who come to their country, work, buy property, use their services, banks, planes, and buy their products and are productive members of society as "guests". Indeed, no civilized and knowledgeable society would want such people to be guests; they would want such people to make the country their home, raise their young generations, transfer their skills and know-how, volunteer in their charitable organizations and events, and continue to contribute the betterment of the society. "Guests" are the tourists.
You make a very large and very erroneous assumption when you say that the place of my origin was unkind to me. The place of my origin was and still is very kind to me. In fact, my standard of living in my place of origin was much, much higher than it is here. My government takes care of me; my tax dollars purchased good health care, good education, well maintained roads, parks and an open, accessible and well regulated services. The people believe in equal rights and opportunities for all and condemn discrimination of any kind. My reasons for coming here are personal but had nothing to do with any dissatisfaction with my country, opportunities there, or how it is governed. But since you raised it I will confess that I do regret the decision to move here. As a UK protectorate the Cayman Islands projects a certain credibility, which it has not in fact earned. And given the sentiments that seem to strengthen daily, it may yet displace that credibility entirely. Even your own views, moderate as they are relative to those of "Your one-solution Caymanian", bespeak of sentiment contrary to that which are enshrined in European conventions.
You are also mistaken if you think that I am alone in my reaction to the comments made by "Your One-Solution Caymanian" or if you think that you can replace all of us who feel such a response. Expats will not live and serve with bigotry prevailing. They are, by definition, skilled and have options. We know discrimination is wrong. And your young generations will lose the opportunity that they have now to be educated and trained bysuch highly skilled professionals in their midst. Instead they will learn the things that are abhorred in all civilized countries: bigotry and discrimination.
He who does not recognize a good thing and treats it with contempt or takes it for granted does not deserve to keep it.
In respect of the comment:
"Employers are economically rational and must prefer ex-pats because they are either cheaper, more productive or both"
What a pile of ka ka! The reason businesses prefer expats over locals is because expats are on a work permit, therefore more easily manipulated and intimidated with the always looming threat of pulling the work permit and sending them home. This is rampant everywhere – worse even in the financial sector and within law firms as the people there are often forced to sign a contract that does not allow them to go to work for any competitors! On the other hand, somebody who is not on a permit doesn’t have to put up with bad treatment and can simply go and jump ship, obviously being inconvenient to the business. So what are work permit holders to do if they they want to stay here? They go along with whatever there employer dictates and demands and try not to piss off the wrong person.
That’s the reason businesses prefer work permit holders, of locals (or non-work permit holders), so don’t even write another novel trying to explain your train of thought, just have the balls and be honest!
In Respect of the Comment…
Dear Anonymous,
Omitting the FACT about the Permit holder being controlled by the respective business vs the Local being able to jump ship and not having the balls to be honest are two different things.
FYI – I am not a business owner and have no reason NOT to behonest about that or ANY injustice i see. As a matter of fact, INJUSTICE ranks #1 on my list of ZERO Tolerance. So thank you for reminding us ALL about that other factor that i soo regrettably OMITTED. That way i wouldn’t have had to write another NOVEL to explain that to other Noonie Mice.
One more thing. I was curious of what a ‘Noonie Mouse’ is, so I did a Google Search and found a fitting definition.
You can find that at: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Noonie+Mouse
Your One-Solution.
To One Solution – I don’t have away of changing the font size on the comments (there may be a way but I haven’t figured it out yet). Do you want to resubmit the comment?
I think your an Asinus.
Refer to the original post http://centos6-httpd22-php56-mysql55.installer.magneticone.com/o_belozerov/31115drupal622/headline-news/2009/04/10/der-investigating-school-site#comment-7610
And his reply: http://centos6-httpd22-php56-mysql55.installer.magneticone.com/o_belozerov/31115drupal622/headline-news/2009/04/10/der-investigating-school-site#comment-7605
Deinition of Asinus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asinus
Your One-Solution
I agree with the questions someone just posted. Who is behind all of this? Perhaps that should be clarified and some people would get a rude awakening. What keeps annoying me is that Caymanians continue to blame everything on the expats when it is their own people who let them down time and time again. Your OWN GOVERNMENT has chosen to hand a large project to a foreign company and was to ignorant to anticipate that the whole thing is going to blow up in their faces. Not just the labour issue, but also the fact that the company underbid all other well experienced construction companies. Who do you think will have to pick up the difference once they realize that they can not complete the school within the set budget? If it looks like a duck, waddles like a duck, and sounds like a duck – most likely it is a duck! You should be screaming at the construction company alone, scream and yell at the people who allowed all of this to happen to begin with.
And please – no more Joey is a nice guy kind of postings. Who cares if he is a nice guy. Being nice doesn’t qualify anyone to run for office. I think I am nice too. So should be running for election based on that? Come on now……..
Cayman News Service you opened up a great news story here which is really about the shameful corrupt Cayman Islands damaging “Caymanian Fronting Industry”, a well known but unacknowledged industry in the Cayman Islands contributing to the problems in this report.
These government construction projects are funded by “our money”, the taxpaying residents of the Cayman Islands; we therefore have a right to and demand more information.
Cayman News Service, Ezzard and Walling it is now time to do some real reporting, name the names:
1. Who are the shareholders of the “construction labour contractors” Moises Construction Ltd.?
2. Who are the “construction labour contractors” who subcontracted their labour to Moises Construction Ltd. and who are the shareholders of these companies?
3. Who are the other shareholders of the General Contractor Tom Jones International?
4. On what government boards, if any, do all of the above shareholders hold membership?
5. Was immigration “influenced” to issue the TJI work permits?
Now if we had truly open campaign contribution reporting then it will be interesting to see who gave $$$ and whatever else to whom.
Waiting on your reports.
isn’t their a project manager for the ministry who should be watchin tom jones…………….
sure we can point he finger there, but have to wonder who on this end is looking out for us
I did not use the phrase "lazy, unproductive Caymanians" nor would I. So the comment attributing that slur should be removed from this page. I merely pointed out that as a matter of economics were Cayamanians as productive workers as expats then there would be no rational economic basis to hire an ex-pat. Productivity is not just how hard one works, it also includes what one is willing to be paid for the job and what training/experience one has that is applicable to task at hand. So do not put words in my mouth.
If I were to generalise my personal experience over the years is that a substantial proportion of Caymanian workers perform far above ordinary expectations for any worker regardless of nationality. A much smaller proportion are disruptive clock workers who are very difficult to remove once they are in a job, as they are the main players of the "I’m Caymanian you can’t touch me" card. That small minority drag down the impression of the employer community as a whole. My shareholders’ capital would be better employed not employing this latter category.
In a country where costs are spiralling, particularly business continuity costs, the excessive wage demands of local employees coupled with the increased costs of employing foreign labour, at a time when labour costs are plummeting elsewhere make Cayman an increasingly less attractive place to do business. There are plenty of other more open-minded low tax jurisdictions. Once business start relocating (some have started) then there will be much more employment problems for Cayman.
Response to Noonie Mouse – Expat Vs Caymanian Worker and Economics
Noonie Mouse,
The Anonymous writer that responded to your previous comment/statements mostly put things into perspective, however just NOT good enough. Firstly, from that Anonymous writer’s comment, let me copy and paste the quotes you supposedly made found here: http://centos6-httpd22-php56-mysql55.installer.magneticone.com/o_belozerov/31115drupal622/headline-news/2009/04/10/der-investigating-school-site#comment-7703
1. NM Employers are economically rational and must prefer ex-pats because they are either cheaper, more productive or both
2. NM There is nothing worse for a business here than having people who are employed because of their passport rather than talent or willingness to work.
3. NM If a Caymanian was willing to do the same work for the same wage no-one would hire an ex-pat because the work permit fees would make uneconomic.
4. NM Penalizing local business by freezing permits to force recruitment of second rate employees will only force more businesses to the wall and ultimately harm the local economy rather than help it.
Assuming you wrote the above and I have no doubt you did…
My response to quote 1 – You say "…MUST prefer expats…". Let’s refer to the white-collar sector. Most, if not all Expats are being paid many more times that of a Caymanian for doing a job that a Caymanian is capable of doing and most times have been doing long before the expat was hired to take a supervisory position over the Cayman by simple discrimination of the employer commonly of the same nationality as the new expat hired. This new expat requires a costly work permit because of the ‘ELEVATED’ job title. Additionally in numerous cases, in Layers of expense, ALL the expat’s housing, transport and utility expenses are paid for by the company including travel expenses for his/her family to travel back to home country as well as all the other fringe payments that we don’t get to know about. These expats are given a Job Description of ONE specific job as opposed to the Caymanian having a Job Description that of 3 and 4 staff, YET is being FAR LESS than the expat being paid to do one job, ruling over the Caymanian and to make the Caymanian’s life miserable on the Job.
So now you say that’s "Economically Rational"??? Come again!!
Furthermore, Many times these expat are not as productive as all you Expats like to think. Many times these expats don’t actually have the Qualifications they say or produce. There is an increasing number of expats producing Fraudulent College Degrees paid for straight off the internet.
Quote 2- On the next page, there is nothing worse than creating a socially dysfunctional country from what was once a passive and peaceful people who will soon get to the stage of being homicidal with the expat. From the ‘Marl Road’, many Caymanians maybe silently planning for that stage. Capiche?
My response Quote 3 – You are referring to the blue collar and other miscellaneous type jobs. Most Caymanians wouldn’t be able to live from those salaries. Most Caymanians don’t share shanty boarding like many of the expat workers unfortunately have to do to make ends meet. They have real loans and mortgages and families to support in this ever increasing cost of living. Again, this is a very unfortunate and destructive environment that is produced DIRECTLY from the “cheap-labour “ and “economic rational” you refer to. Good thing you are not an economist for this country.
My response to Quote 4 – While that may be the result, it should be understood that these companies and the foreign national have been having their way to the detriment of the Caymanian people and to the social fabric of this once passive and peaceful country by transforming it into a brewing volcano.(refer to quote 2). Once this volcano erupts, that, you foolish expat, will be the TRUE demise of the economy. So hence, the once business lucrative Cayman Islands will not be for those SAME businesses and expats who diligently created the whole damned mess in the first place. Capiche?
Mouse Just as the anonymous writer said, you DO NOT appear to be a stake holder, “You want to drink at the fountain you did not create while pis..ing in it.” That was well said!!
One question. Why is it that you people don’t remember that the countries you come from have in many cases, more stringent labor and immigration laws than the Cayman Islands, yet you people are still forging to have your way completely at ANY cost?
Your One-Solution Caymanian
Response to Noonie Mouse – Expat Vs Caymanian Worker/Economics
Noonie Mouse,
The Anonymous writer that responded to your previous comment/statements mostly put things into perspective, however just NOT good enough. Firstly, from that Anonymous writer’s comment, let me copy and paste the quotes you supposedly made found here:
http://centos6-httpd22-php56-mysql55.installer.magneticone.com/o_belozerov/31115drupal622/headline-news/2009/04/10/der-investigating-school-site#comment-7703
1. NM
Employers are economically rational and must prefer ex-pats because they are either cheaper, more productive or both
2. NM
3. NM
4. NM
Penalizing local business by freezing permits to force recruitment of second rate employees will only force more businesses to the wall and ultimately harm the local economy rather than help it.If a Caymanian was willing to do the same work for the same wage no-one would hire an ex-pat because the work permit fees would make uneconomic.There is nothing worse for a business here than having people who are employed because of their passport rather than talent or willingness to work.
Assuming you wrote the above and I have no doubt you did…
My response to quote 1 – You say "…MUST prefer expats…". Let’s refer to the white-collar sector. Most, if not all Expats are being paid many more times that of a Caymanian for doing a job that a Caymanian is capable of doing and most times have been doing long before the expat was hired to take a supervisory position over the Cayman by simple discrimination of the employer commonly of the same nationality as the new expat hired. This new expat requires a costly work permit because of the ‘ELEVATED’ job title. Additionally in numerous cases, in Layers of expense, ALL the expat’s housing, transport and utility expenses are paid for by the company including travel expenses for his/her family to travel back to home country as well as all the other fringe payments that we don’t get to know about. These expats are given a Job Description of ONE specific job as opposed to the Caymanian having a Job Description that of 3 and 4 staff, YET is being FAR LESS than the expat being paid to do one job, ruling over the Caymanian and to make the Caymanian’s life miserable on the Job.
So now you say that’s "Economically Rational"???Come again!!
Furthermore, Many times these expat are not as productive as all you Expats like to think. Many times these expats don’t actually have the Qualifications they say or produce. There is an increasing number of expats producing Fraudulent College Degrees paid for straight off the internet.
Quote 2- On the next page, there is nothing worse than creating a socially dysfunctional country from what was once a passive and peaceful people who will soon get to the stage of being homicidal with the expat. From the ‘Marl Road’, many Caymanians maybe silently planning for that stage. Capiche?
Quote 3 – You are referring to the blue collar and other miscellaneous type jobs. Most Caymanians wouldn’t be able to live from those salaries. Most Caymanians don’t share shanty boarding like many of the expat workers unfortunately have to do to make ends meet. They have real loans and mortgages and families to support in this ever increasing cost of living. Again, this is a very unfortunate and destructive environment that is produced DIRECTLY from the "cheap-labour " and "economic rational" you refer to. Good thing you are not an economist for this country.
Quote 4 – While that may be the result, it should be understood that these companies and the foreign national have been having their way to the detriment of the Caymanian people and to the social fabric of this once passive and peaceful country by transforming it into a brewing volcano.(refer to quote 2). Once this volcano erupts, that, you foolish expat, will be the TRUE demise of the economy. So hence, the once business lucrative Cayman Islands will not be for those SAME businesses and expats who diligently created the whole damned mess in the first place. Capiche?
Mouse, Just as the anonymous writer said, you DO NOT appear to be a stake holder, "You want to drink at the fountain you did not create while pis..ing in it." That was well said!!
One question. Why is it that you people don’t remember that the countries you come from have in many cases, more stringent labor and immigration laws than the Cayman Islands, yet you people are still forging to have your way completely at ANY cost?
Your One-Solution Caymanian.
Dear "Your One-Solution Caymanian",
Thank you for being so honest about your true nature. If anyone had any doubt as to whether Cayman would follow the same destructive path as the Bahamas or Bermuda your open threat of "being homicidal with the expat" will surely resolve them.
For the record, YOU did not create this fountain. You had not an iota of a participation in creating this fountain. It was Paul Harris, a chartered accountant from the UK, and Bill Walker, an attorney from Guyana, who built this fountain that is today’s off-shore financial centre (Cayman). Both expats. They called their buddies in the UK and convinced them to bring their money here (from Bermuda or Jamaica). They, and other expats just like them, drafted the requisite legislation to make Cayman attractive for investment. The local government of the time had the good sense to follow their recommendations, sit back and let the expats make it happen. Kindly refer tothe most recent issue of the "Cayman Financial Review" and read the article there titled "The Cayman Islands: From obscurity to offshore giant" for a history lesson in how it is that your own country came to be what it is today (you can pick it up at the Compass for free). Your fishermen and your basket-weavers had nothing to do with it. They were looking for work in Cuba or Nicaragua because there was none to be had in Cayman. There is no natural spring, no mineral, no oil, no native plant, animal or natural resource of Cayman (the sand is nice, but so is the sand on any other island). It happened because of the contacts of those first expats and because of their expertise and all those expats who came since the 1970s who created the laws necessary to present the world with financial opportunity and who called their rich university buddies and convinced them to entrust their wealth to them here. It simply happened DESPITE you.
Understandably you are upset that you had no role to play in this. Understandably you are upset still that you don’t have as big of a piece of the pie as you feel you should be entitled. Understandably you are utterly confused and bewildered: one day you were a "peaceful" basket-weaving fishing village and the next there were multi-million dollar condos on the shores and BMWs cruising on the asphalt roads, riches galore. No wonder you are "a brewing volcano" and feel the need to hurl insults, make serious threats of violence, beat upon your chest and incite hatred and division.
What you fail to grasp however, is that when you do turn "homicidal with the expat" and the expats do leave, they will take their contacts with them. Given that such a large portion of the population of this country is made of expats, when they leave AND they take their clients and their money with them (and find another island to do it all over again) all the amenities that you now enjoy will be gone also. After all, a population of only 10,000 does not need so many grocery stores, restaurants, cars, houses, variety of food, furniture, household goods, scheduled flights….. And without the imports from which to extract duty, without the business licenses to issue, without the work permit fees, without the incorporation of companies or trusts or hedge funds fees, your government will not have any money. Nor would you need so many civil servants on the payroll any way (it shouldn’t take more than 5 people to govern the handful left). All those things will shut down. Perhaps the cruise ships will continue to stop by (at least until Cuba takes that market away now that President Obama has decided to make amends) and you can try to make your money selling tourists cheap trinkets rather than building schools or roads or housing – you will not be needing them here. Perhaps you will set sail for work in Cuba again (and build for them schools and the like). That would be a poetic full circle; to end up exactly as you started.
Adios, and good luck with your fist full of sand.
Will the last expat off the island please remember to turn off the lights?
Dear Civil,
I cannot but answer your posting.
The Cayman Islands story, contrary to your misinformation, was not created by Expats. While I agree, Mr Bill Walker and Mr. McDonald and many Expats were highly influential in bringing ideas to the Government, it was in fact the highly respected Caymanians in the Legislative Assembly that saw with great foresight the potential of their ideas and set about putting in place the laws and regulations needed to create the financial industry in the first place. Those same Caymanians saw the logic of the Cadastral Survey, The logic of clearing the island of Mosquitoes, the logic of creating our own currency, creating the infrastructure of the docks, the LA and Courts Building, The modern port, the roads, the Glass House, and I could go on.
It was the Caymanians that did that and no they were not out fishing at the time, they were the Founders of the Financial Centre which many have come to enjoy the spoils of since. You will find their names on the Walls in Celebration park. While I agree with you that many other persons with knowledge and perseverance came and gave their part, many also came here with little more than the shirt on their back at the time of Mr. Harris. I know this I saw many of them arrive. They undobtedly worked hard to achieve what they have. Cayman made them into the millionaires they are today. The early ones that came usaually assimilated into the Cayman society and made the island a better place…an we recognize that.
However, the Caymanian people, whom the Government of the 1960s and 1970s sought to make better, have been marginalized in today’s Cayman…they cannot find jobs, they are displaced in opportunities by many who come here, they are spoken to with the disdain and condescending attitude that you portray in your post. This is what many Caymanians are reacting to…unfortunately it is persons like yourself that believe that you own the Cayman Islands…you are our guest here and you should not forget that. The reason you are here in the first place is that your own people have made your original birth place unkind to you as well.
I want to make it clear that I do not have anything against the foreign workers we import here, you included. However, if you continue to host these feelings we are happy to see you go. On the flip side I do not support our own Caymanian rhetoric that creates a rift between locals and foreign guests here like yourself. Many Caymanians recognize that we need your expertise that is why we invited you here on a permit. While we know we can replace you that is not our intent. The one comment that you make that I agree with is that we can easily follow the model of other Caribbean islands however it is postings like your and some Caymanians as will that add fuel to this situation. It is attitudes and misinformation that you hold that will fuel the fire. It is time for you to recognize that the Caymanians are by right to be the first to have opportunities. Thisis the situation with any country, their people must come first. And Caymanians we all need to step up to the plate…get yourself educated and then no one can come here and suggest erroneously that they created your Island.
I wish you all the best in completing your work permit time on the Island and hope your future journey overseas is as fruitful.
It seems pretty obvious to me that if you improved the lot of the expat worker so that they had a minimum wage and rights upheld by the law, the labour department and immigration and a proper complaints procedure whereby they had some sort of guarantee that they would not be shipped back home just for complaining, that the Caymanian worker would benefit. Having a situation where employers, both expat and Caymanian, can bully workers on a work permit without any action against them only benefits the employer.
As someone said in a previous post most people get work permits so the can use that work permit over the foreigner’s head, thus use it to get slave labour.
But there are cases where its just plane predudice in the scale of pay for work permit holder versus caymanian, when the friend thing is used, such as in the financial & insurance sector.
BUT WE HAVE TO STAND UP. Let me tell you of an instance. My husband was working at the Ritz Carlton when it was under construction.
On a Friday they were told that the contractor they were employed by (a Foreign Company) had a falling out with the owners, but they would be kept on. Well on Monday morning that was a different story, at 9:30am when My husband shaould have been at work he showed up at mine. When they went to work they were told that they didn’t have a job. But they were hiring new persons including Turkish workers who told them that they was paid US$3.00 per hour and that was a lot of money where they came from.
Well I did not sit down a moan I got on the ball, the first thing I did was call labour office, call the ministry of labour let them know what was going on, got an appointment with the minister of labour, call immigration got an appointment with the head of the immigration board who at the time was MR. EZZARD MILLER.
I was asked by Mr. Miller to get a list of the names of the crew of 20 persons who was let go. well to cut a long story short, I gave Mr. Miller the names, and Mr. Roy Bodden sent DER to the site and by Wednesday of the same week 19 of the 20 was back at work, and the reason only 19 was that one guy on work permit did not fill out and return the forms that was giving to him.
In that group was Caymanians, Status Holders, Permenant Residents and work permit holders. But I got to understand that even those they had these capable hardworking employees they would have rather hire cheaper labour, therefore before Mr. Miller and the board would grant work permits they had to re hire these men.
I say stand up for what you believe and don’t stop until you getresults. I was not living or voting in North Side I lived in savannah, so I know that Mr. Miller wasn’t looking a vote from me.
He was standing up for what was right. This is not ment to toot my own horn or be political, but just to demonstrate that when someone has the will to do his or her job they do it, and when someone is willing to stand up for what they believe in results are the to be gained.
Remember just not so long ago women had no right to vote in Cayman and segregation was ripe in America. At times it cost the lost of lives for your rights, but if you believe in having your rights you should be willing to scarifice something, even if it means that you will lose certain connections to the right people, or advancement, or anything else you would be afraid to lose.
IF YOU STAND FOR NOTHING, YOU WILL FALL FOR ANYTHING. IT”S TIME FOR PEOPLE TO STAND UP FOR THEIR RIGHTS.
I AM SO GLAD I GREW UP IN THE BRAC. IT MADE A FIGHTER AND NOT A PUSH OVER, OUT OF ME.
Congrats to those guys for standing up, its about time, if this happen more often, so much advantage would not be taken of Caymanians, Status Holders, and P Residents.
because like someone else said it happens to them too.
LAV.
"by these lazy, unproductive Caymanians" – Nonnie Mouse this is a generalisation that is a little on the ignorant side…and also will not instill great togetherness amongstthe many peoples sharing Cayman as home.
I do think we have a problem with productiveness sometimes here in Cayman, and that may have been to a large part derived from a generation of us Caymanian youngsters being assured jobs because we were Caymanian – back in the 80’s and 90’s. So we didn’t have to struggle as much and had a sense of expecting things (jobs) but that has all changed. However it doesn’t help to negatively demarcate a whole group of people just because you may have had a bad experience with a few of us.
There may have been a blip in the history of our work ethic due to whatever reasons, but the Caymanian work ethic of the past generations was excellent – work, work, work. We can get over this blip and gain back the work ethic that we were renowned for and move up in all industries.
This happens in all types of jobs in Cayman. Even when you go to the DER to let them know you that you are applying at your current place of employment for a position you’re highly qualified for, the system fails you. They are suppose to advise the immigration that a qualified Caymanian has applied for the job before the immigration grants a work permit. That doesn’t work. Employers won’t hire Caymanians for reasons other than money. Example, that may be their style of management ( They prefer to hire an expat so they canhold the work permit over them like puppets). Yes it does cost more to take out a permit but it’s worth it when you want less resistance from the employees. Expats are scared to tell the boss he needs more hours, you’re treating us unfairly, how about a bonus for the job well done. There’s also the case of hiring very qualified Caymanians and now they are climbing to the top and my Job is at risk. I’ve heard it all from friends, people on the streets, on the net, I’ve experienced it first hand. I wish I had known Lonnie was director of the DER and I might have been spared the stress. Next time. I could say a lot more but why. It’s the system and you have to find a way to beat it.
joey should have stayed at the turtle farm. i think he was right for that job and i dont know who suggested to him that he should leave that job and run for office. Being a politician does not suit him and he has had a very bad start with that news story.
Mr Miller seems to be a good man and i think being out of politics for several years has done him well. time to get him back now.
joey is a nice guiys and is clearly one for the future. But right now with the country in the siotuation it is in and with the option of joey versus Mr Miller it is clear that mr miller is the right choice. Mr miller is also very educated man (yes he has actually degrees unlike many of our other politicians)
he has also served recently as a consultant to the hsa and i can tell you he can walk right into that heath ministry and address many of its issues (he has education and training is directly in healthcare issues as well)
we need experience right now. and joey does not have that.
I live in east end but my aunt will vote for Mr Ezzard Miller in Northside.
I dont care what anyone says. Ezzard Miller did the right thing. he is not even in offfice yet and we can see clearly what he is made of.
he is one of very few former Ministers that deserves to be re-elected. he has been out of politics for a while but he is ready to serve again and is a very intelligent man.
of course this may help him during his campaign. but that is besides the point. at the end of this he would have helped caymanians and that is all that matters. this is what alden mclaughlin should have done as it was going on for many many months.
and then, suddenly we hear that he has up and left the farm with no one at the helm . If that is not being ……….
Did we not get a similer situation from Charles last time. He up and declared all in a day as well. He got a job later because "Hurricane Ivan" forced him to. Hope we do not have another "Clifford Gate" on our hand. Mind you Joey is an OK fella on his own. But, what I don’t understand was what made him change his mind about running – he clearly stated that he wanted to remain at the turtle farm and see is prosper. That it was just not some little ‘old job’ to him, it ment so much more. What changed your mind Joe?
Suddenly jumping ship seems to be the MO of choice for some parties. I totally forgot about CharlesGate. Wonder if the farm has identified anyone as yet to head up the captainless ship. What a pity he left at such a critcal time. Goes to show he was only there for the monetary gain.
I am voting in North Side and for the first time, i will be voting for Ezzard!!!
Can’t say that he is my fav person, but considering the other two options on the voting card, he is the logical choice.
If Joe was so concerned about North Siders (yeah now that it is election time) he should of been out there trying to help those guys!!!!! Anyway, not suprised. Perhaps Joe still thinks that North Siders are ignorant (read his Man of the Year article). Yeah they would be if they vote for you; and surely they deserve what they get if they put you in over Ezzard!!!!
"It is indisputable that guest workers are indispensible to our current economic model".
Fair comment-some would say unfortunately. What future economic model do the candidates and the posters to this site have in mind? Can we raise the discussion above the inevitable Cayman versus the Rest of the World level?
Everyone is moaning about the budget deficit in Cayman but now most of the moaners are piping up about employing Caymanians on public projects. If Caymanians demand more money for the same job, then using Caymanians will make public works projects more expensive and push up the deficit. Employers are economically rational and must prefer ex-pats because they are either cheaper, more productive or both. There is nothing worse for a business here than having people who are employed because of their passport rather than talent or willingness to work. If a Caymanian was willing to do the same work for the same wage no-one would hire an ex-pat because the work permit fees would make uneconomic. Penalizing local business by freezing permits to force recruitment of second rate employees will only force more businesses to the wall and ultimately harm the local economy rather than help it.
Nonnie Mouse wrote
NM Employers are economically rational and must prefer ex-pats because they are either cheaper, more productive or both.
The assumption is that indiginous labour is less productive. Undeniably there are non productive employees every where…in every jurisdiction including where you come from. This broad brush conveniently cast aside Cayman labour while covering up the fact that good Cayman labour comes at a price. We have to live in our own country. You cannot pay the price for a thriving business in a deteriorating social environment where you may pay more to protect your business than you would investing in Caymanian employees who will be loyal, and productive. The cost benefit to you is going to be short lived with that smallness of thought.
That is not a sustainable business model. You are not a community stake holder you are a steak taker. There are business here who serach for and secure productive loca staff who will go beyond, take a bullet for their employer. They work together to increase bottom line. Your thinking dose not subscribe to that. You care little for the long term effect of a torn social fabric that will force you to upgarde security, live in gated community , and ride in secure transportation, get security for your children while at school. I cannot live in that environment. May be that is what you want.
NM There is nothing worse for a business here than having people who are employed because of their passport rather than talent or willingness to work.
The optimal model for business, in the purist sence, is that you hire who you want and at the price you want. Unfortunately NM you fail to acknowledge that most countries require that their nationals get fair play, be first pick benificiarys for employment…their passports are the first gate way to pass through. Your ability to set up shop where you are from is first afforded by your passport , a qualifier you conveniently use. It is amazing why it should be so much different here just because your advantage would be obvious. Back in Canada I would have to be rightfully subject to the labour requirements you would be free from.
NM If a Caymanian was willing to do the same work for the same wage no-one would hire an ex-pat because the work permit fees would make uneconomic.
Caymanians will do the work. You just have to pay fair wages. You may be able to find alternatives to suit your budget. If you budget is calculated to force Cayman labour to grovel then you will never be satified with their labour. What is amazing is that Caymanians by status, find the same hurdle. Some employers regard the Caymanians (status holder too) with calculated disdain and will not hire them unless forced by penalty of law. There are no nonsense business/employers who understand that a sustainable model includes better vision, winning hearts and minds,while requiring exceptional work ethic. You are not one of these. You want to drink at the fountain you did not create while pis…… in it.
NMPenalizing local business by freezing permits to force recruitment of second rate employees will only force more businesses to the wall and ultimately harm the local economy rather than help it.
Business/employers seek to maximise returns on their investment. That objective is paramount. Wise government creates opportunity and environment to grow money, government of , and by these lazy, unproductive Caymanians. Business will bloom when fertilised with the right nutrients. A balanced and inclusive, robust agro design means that business will grow in a country (social, infrastructure…) that experiences parallel prosperity. imbalance in either favour is the alchemy for defeat.
What success could there be where all these "second rate employess" have no ability to feed their families, no recourse for self realisation, no place to apply their interminable mediocrity, no cathedral to confess their shame of laziness and lack of productivity rooted in DNA?
Wake up Noonie baby you been on the wrong grass honeeee!
Some of those very foreign workers that are employed at minimum wages can barely survive here in the Cayman Islands. So to say that you can pay an expat less is really not the smartest thing to say. Remember, crime thrives as a result of this kind of environment.
Caymanians must be paid a fair wage compared to their foreign counterparts. For the most part, there is a great anomaly between the wages of qualified white collar Caymanian and those of an expat who receive the top of the salary range for doing the same job. As Caymanians we have to work harder to prove ourselves, and no one can deny this.
But one thing is for sure: we should learn a lesson from the expats; they look out for one another. I can hardly say the same thing about Caymanians. Take the campaign rhetoric for example; there are those who say that young people like Elio, Perlina, Jonathan, and Dwayne are too young and inexperienced to serve in the capacity of a legislator. Cayman; this is all double speak since we continue to preach that our children are our future. Cayman, I say, wake up and meet your future since these are the very same young people we have been referring to when we made these statements in the past. The future is here, and we should support them. Embrace your future and stop crying down these capable individuals . We would expect, if no one else, that our government who should be proud of its citizens, would be singing the praise of the quality of the young candidates that are on the campaing trail. We have intelligent people here in the Cayman Islands, now lets help them make their mark in this election.
"Parent, God bless you, you love your son. But no one of any sense (other than Ezzard or Walling simply cos it’s all politrics right now) could believe your post. It makes no sense ECONOMICALLY.!!! Why hire a foreigner at great expense if you can get such a skilled Caymanian as your son so much cheaper? Money dictates this, not nationality."
The afformentioned is a naive, slick willie option to apply normal logic to the Cayman employment scence, where that logic falls flat on its’s face.
What planet are you from?
It is indisputable that guest workers are indispensible to our current economic model. It is concurretly indisputable that the Cayman worker for an increasing part is deliberately disadvantaged in part by his own.
Over the past 15 years….more intensely, (almost accross the board) it has become the standard MO to hire an expat over locally qualified including those locally qualified who have just acquired status and are new Caymanians).
Just afew thoughts.The logic that it is more feasable to hire a Caymanian as it is cheaper falls away. In many cases work permits inflict a level of slavish decipline, provides a damper to personal ambitions, ring in the nose commitment to the managements cause, minimising risk of question, enable corporate objectives to be achieved with reduced posibility of perceived betrayal, or transplanting of business templates and ideas, processes. It reduces the possibility of whistle blowing, inflicts misconstrued corporate loyalty. It attempt to control the ability for emerging competition.
The guestworker networks in some organisations are are fantastic and effective mechanism abiding by the credo to seek and hire their own, protect their groups to the detriment of the Caymanian who may at times be training them to replace Caymanians, who is likey to be a minority on that level of operation, and who is not the beneficiary of a comparable network. Sadly to a great extent, Caymanains have lost the ability to act cohesively and cultivate loyalty of purpose, to achieve noble objectives as other groupings get bolder at doing. The Caymanian sailer network of old is falling away.
Powerful expats look out to influense hire of those of their own nationality, and scholastic peerage. Part of it is for comfort and part is sheer acquisition of power with objectives of increased leverage to keep bonus, great pay among them only, protect lucrative positions from Cayman intrusion and reduce influence errosion.
On the other hand some powerful Caymanian business owners/ managers in public and private sectors act to dissuade, discourage, disenfranchise their own, as these young and qualified Caymanians challenge, with good reason, for positions of parity…it is their country.
The decison to hire from overseas is predicated on many altruistic and non-altruistic motives. It can be purely that there are no qualified locals able to assume the positions. It has been the case that the positions are not appealing to locals for reasons of unreasonable remuneration and other competing available options. But it is apparent that in many cases expat hire is motivated by a cost benefit formula that translates into (positive) bottom line return, and reduced responsibility over all.
Local labour is generally at a disadvantage. While the logic is that no one should tell who to hire or how to run your business. You should not be able to run your business on the back of a country that creates a platform for corporate farming success, to the detriment of the natives who pay taxes, own the community and will be forced to form social gravitas to stop these hurtful practices. This society is too small for the wrong thing to go on without dertiment to all. Too small to use public funds for large projects for the Cayman public to pay for and have Caymanians unable to work and be rewarded as others are.
Should we pay these projects, not be able to work on them, go hungry and say notthing?
I dont think so.
Thank you ! I was also wondering what planet he comes from and I would bet whoever wrote the previous mentioned comment is not a Caymanian. I also know of a Caymanian owned jewellery store (chain) that have laid off several employees (all Caymanian NO foreigners) so please tell me how "qualified" you need to be to sell a watch or a pair or earrings.
My Caymanians I ask you please stand up. Don’t allow the work force to treat you like your nothing, don’t be afraid to speak out against the employers who allow a qualified, articulate caymanian to just fall by the wayside. We and I myself have experienced being put down in the work force just because we are Caymanian. I ask you take no more of this unfairness and go for what you truly deserve. We now need to fight against those who even when we’re qualified and work hard treat us as not good enough. I have after seeing years of abuse to myself and other have decided to speak out. Speak out to whomever will listen. Don’t let those who have come here by plane and landed in a pot of gold steal your sunshine. The Caymanians that have always worked and will continue to work hard are a humble, creative beautiful set of people and we deserve the very best. Don’t let those expats that come here and say oh "They’re not indegious people" tell you any different. We have inhabited these islands for the last 500 plus years, we are and always will be the people of the Cayman Islands. There are some very disgusting people who have either gotten their status or pr who say " Oh I’m Caymanian now". Well guess what you may be on paper but you’ll never be Caymanian by generation blood and that’s the difference.
Sincerely a 100% Caymanian, broken down
50% Bracker and 50% Georgetown
You know what is really the problem on hiring locals or caymanians, and this is based on my experienced working w/ them, is that most of them are too lazy and too arrogant especially those young ones. If their boss scolded them the next day they will not report and they will resign without prior notice to their employer. Of course they don’t have a permit and they can look for a job anywhere they want. They are always after on the benefits they will get but they don’t perform well (excuse me but i am not saying all of them i’m just saying some of them that i have worked with and some of them that i know). They are very particular on time compared to expats that when you told them you have to work up to this late of time or you have to finish this as per the deadline, they will do it even some are not not being paid by the OVERTIME they did. I dont know if some are just taking advantage of those expats that got no choice but to work hard and be parient for they dont have anywhere to go and they dont have a choice. Business is business and if u are a businessman u would rather choose people that is hardworking and you can really rely with.
I dont know in some other field of work but some locals I can say they are very dedicated and you can really really rely on them and these are mostly the matured ones and with good breeding.
I would say don’t judge the people behind this issue, always give the benefit of the doubt. Always check and look the two sides of the coin before judging people. Let the people behind speak their side, they might have a reason why these people lost their job. AND THE MOST, DON’T LET POLITICS OR POLITICIANS GET ON THIS ISSUE. THEY WILL JUST USE THIS ISSUE AS PERFUME FOR THEIR NAMES. LET THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE TO FIX THIS ISSUE TO DO THEIR PART IN A PROPER MANNER NOT A TRIAL BY PUBLICITY.
IT’S A NEVERN ENDING EXPATS AND CAYMANIANS EMPLOYMENT ISSUE . . . IF YOU THINK EXPATS ARE NOT HELPING YOUR COUNTRY AND TAKING THE JOBS AWAY FROM THE WELL DESERVE CAYMANIANS THEN BETTER YET STOP HIRING EXPATS AND PROVE CAYMANIANS CAN STAND ALONE ON BUILDING THEIR COUNTRY A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE IN, AND I KNOW HOW EVERYBODY WANTS IT TO BE THAT WAY BUT ITS A VERY HARD AND LONG PROCESS TO DO. SORRY TO SAY BUT THATS REALITY. yOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL ALSO TO EXPATS BECAUSE THEY ARE THE PEOPLE WHO PUT YOUR COUNTRY IN THE MAP. A COUNTRY THAT EVEN HOW SMALL IT IS AND CANNOT BE SEEN BY THE NAKED EYE IN THE GLOBE/MAP WAS ABLE TO HELPED LOTS OF PEOPLE AND THAT YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF. LET THEM BE AN INSPIRATION ON WHY EMPLOYERS LOVE THEM, BECAUSE THEY ARE SO DEDICATED, THEY ARE PATIENT, THEY EXCEL ON EACH INDIVIDUAL TASK, THEY HAVE GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY ARE POLITE, THEY ARE HARDWORKING AND MOST YOU CAN TRUST MOST OF THEM. THINK UNSELFISHLY AND EVERYTHING WILL WENT WELL.
YOU TELL THEM EZZARD
I like the way Mr Ezzard Miller deals with things. No beating around the bush. Not afraid to say what he has to say andstanding up for his people. It was a very brave stand you took speaking up for your people and you have not even gotten elected yet. I can imagine the great job you will do when elected in North Side.
No if,s and buts, no maybe so, no excuses of promises and lies. You know something, he reminds me of MacKeva Bush, a man that gets the job done. I cannot vote in North Side, but if I could I would certainly vote for Mr Ezzard Miller.
This hiring of expats over Caymanians happen quite often in the banking services as well. Wish immigration or the labour board would do more to protect us. They just listen to whatever crock the institution tells them and does nothing to verify the information on their own.
A special task force should be established and charged with ensuring that whatever reason is given as to why an expat got a job over a Caymanian is actually genuine.
The Minister of Education IS ALSO for Minister for EMPLOYMENT.
Can you imagine that the SAME Minister responsible for Employment and Education would sign a contract for that school with TOM JONES without ensuring that Caymanians were guaranteed employment.
Alden please step down now..you have failed the people of George Town and the workers of the Cayman Islands.
WELL DONE MR MILLER AND ALSO WELL DONE MR LONNIE TIBBETTS.
I am so glad to see that this issue is being addressed and tha the DER has done something about it. There are too many Caymanians being pushed out for cheaper labour. I am so glad to know that we have someone like Ezzard Miller who is prepared to stand up for our people..
Ezzard I am not a North Sider but you got my support after hearing this. Lonnie keep up the great work and make sure that Tom Jones gets what is coming to them with their trick tactics. I think they should have their contract taken from them and a company that will employ Caymanians without switching over for cheaper labour gets it.
North Siders, I hope you see the depth of what Mr. Miller will bring to the table of the assembly, We all know that he is not someone you can tell what to do. Regrettably, I can’t say the same for the other NS candidate. Seems to lack stability and dependability; one minute he was employed at the Turtle Farm and had no intention of running in the election; and then, suddenly we hear that he has up and left the farm with no one at the helm . If that is not being selfish, I wonder what is?
Running for public office is not something you do on a whim; either you care about the welfare of your fellow Caymanians and you make firm plans to run for public office, or, in this case, in view of the obvious lack of thought, it would appear as if it’s simply a ego trip.
If they didn’t get the jobs that means they weren’t up to standard or did not meet the skill set.
That is so not true. A few years ago my son who is a highly qualified finish carpenter applied for a job and was basically hired on the spot until he was asked if he already had a work permit. When he replied that he didn’t need one because he was Caymanian the company then told him the position was filled. How ironic can you get.
"That is so not true…………………..my son who is a highly qualified finish carpenter…………didn’t need..a work permit…. because he was a Caymanian…company then told him the position was filled etc"
Parent, God bless you, you love your son. But no one of any sense (other than Ezzard or Walling simply cos it’s all politrics right now) could believe your post. It makes no sense ECONOMICALLY.!!! Why hire a foreigner at great expense if you can get such a skilled Caymanian as your son so much cheaper? Money dictates this, not nationality.
The fact is that he earns $20 per hour whereas a Jamaican will do the same job for about $15 per hour. That is where I "economically" makes sense to them so don’t tell me no-one can beleive my post. I know this for fact as I was right there when it occured. In the long run the company would save money by hiring a foreigner.
Wake up and smell the sea air poster. It’s a common fact, that despite Caymanians being qualified, just like the person’s son, expats end up getting the job. It is common knowledge that certain expats, who have in house knowlege of jobs bedoming availabe, call their friends overseas and notify them right away. The individual then submits thier resume and based on a good word and a recommendation from the in house staff, that expat is able to get the job just like that. Don’t fool yourself Cayman, the coporate world is sometimes about who knows you.
And I’m not asking anyone this: I know this for a fact!!
So many Caymanians looking for jobs, and yet we continue to grant work permits. What’s wrong with this picture?
The applicants not having the skill set should not be a problem. The immigration system requires apprenticeships in such circumstances as a condition of work permits. Even the unskilled can be labourers. 5% of the working age population of Caymanians may be unemployable – but what about the other 1,000 Caymanians who are looking for work. Time for permits to be not renewed – perhaps in all industry groups. That is why we have the permit system – to only allow expat labour IF there are inadequate numbers of local people to reasonably meet the needs of businesses. Cayman has grown up – and at least for now we have enough Caymanians to meet the needs of many industries. Let them take their rightful places. If they are unreliable, cause problems, or don’t turn up, then fire them – but do not stop them from even trying.
In answer to this I asked a number of Caymanian business why they don’t employ Caymanians and I got the anser because they are lazy assume they have a right to the job and a right to be paid more than the expat who does the job and when they are made subject to disciplinary processes at work come out with the comment you can’t do that because I am a Caymanian.
I think you are asAsinus. Obviously you are one that needs to be whipped really hard. Not being up to standard or not meeting the skill set was NO PART of that Caymanian Discriminatory Scenario you just refered/replied to.
You must be of the Equus hydruntinus, but far from extinct. Please refer to Wikipedia.com for definition.
One Solution
The government looks the other way knowing the contractor bids are based upon foreign labor. When will they get honest about this which puts Caymanians out of work.
These firms must hire Caymanian workers where ever possible…period.