Hons Fahie & Christian speak up for VIslanders; Hire them!
Honourable Fahie was at the time today April 20, 2017 speaking on a motion brought to the House of Assembly by Minister for Health and Social Development Hon Ronnie W. Skelton (AL) to appoint Mrs Ayana I. Glasgow-Liburd as Chairwoman of the BVI Health Services Authority.
While Hon Fahie expressed his support for Mrs Glasgow-Liburd, he warned the incoming Chairwoman of the need to ensure that locals are hired in that organisation. He said “I do not support the notion that our people do not want to work.”
The Leader of the Opposition warned that “you cannot build a nation like this…one minute they are told that they are over qualified the other minute they are told something else…”
He said our people want to work as “many of the locals are right here with the same qualifications, but still not hired.” Hon Fahie said we can make laws right here to protect our people. A year or so the controversial Minister for Education and Culture Hon Myron V. Walwyn (AL) told the public that we cannot make laws anymore to protect our people.
However, the Virgin Islands Party Chairman Hon Fahie disagreed and told lawmakers that we must protect our people through laws. He said St Kitts is not building St Kitts for Trinidad and Antigua is not building Antigua for Barbados. He said Jamaica was not going to build Jamaica for anyone next door.
Hon Fahie said while he is not a fan of President Donald J. Trump (R), the United States President is doing all he can to protect the American people. “What is wrong with us doing that here?” he asked.
Hon Christian agrees
Meanwhile, Junior Minister for Tourism Honourable Archibald C. Christian (AL) also joined in defending local residents for employment and said “it is wrong to have locals qualified in their own country while others not from here, sometimes with a job already, but getting a job in a government organisation….this is wrong,” he lamented. Hon Christian said he knows this will be "breaking news" but this must not continue.
Over the years local Virgin Islanders have complained that they are discriminated against, especially in the area of employment.
Within the past six years many government organisations and statutory bodies such as Her Majesty’s Prison, Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, BVI Ports Authority, BVI Health Services Authority and the Attorney General’s Chambers, along with many private sector organisations, have been stacked with expat workers while locals go without employment, or if hired are doing the jobs that are at the bottom of the scale.
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37 Responses to “Hons Fahie & Christian speak up for VIslanders; Hire them!”
All there is to say... 'file a class action lawsuits'
...the legitimate employment interests of Virgin Islanders and Belongers shall be paramount and shall override all other competing expression on national policy in this section;....
Really Archie !!!!. are u really an opportunist and ingrate? You ever supported guy hill in immigration? now here talking p**s.
The nation has been slow off the mark in effectively investing in human capital and training to its needs. There is a glut in certain skills and a scarcity in others. For example, the VI went from few local lawyers to now there seems to be an abundance of lawyers. On the other hand, more doctors and other medical professionals are needed. Many locals gravitate towards administrative skills while technical skills seem to be the province of expats (not their fault just meeting a need). Government should award scholars and other government funded training based on national need. For example, there is no local medical examiner. With a growing population, this is a need that should have been addressed decades ago. Interestingly there was local interest in this area but decision makers did not see the need. Further, the Ministry of Labour must be the cog in the employment needs wheel. It should be strict in only issuing work permits only for jobs that 1) there are no interested qualified locals, 2)jobs that Virgin Islanders may not want or 3)spewciality jobs. . What is the employer role and responsibility ?
It is no secret that employers will limit expenditures by hiring workers at the least costs; Labour is a major cost. Profit trumps locals loyalty. Low compensation offering leads to rejection by locals and acceptance by external workers. Some workers may be more motivated than others and willing to work for less. Some may see this as exploration. However, the market may be driving the level of compensation. The demand for workers is less than the supply so it is an employers' market. However, can locals afford to buy goods and services from businesses if they are not employed and prices are not fair and reasonable? The Labour Dept. must get actively engaged to ensure that locals get a fair shake at employment.
In regards to employees, they must 1) get the requisite training for available jobs in the economy (they cannot pigeon hole themselves to administrative jobs), 2) they must be productive , 3) earn the priviledge to be employed , 4) reliable and punctual, 5)part of the team...........etc. Moreover, there is no stigma to working with one's hands out doors. Electrician, plumber, carpenter, mason, automechanic, diesel mechanic, boat captain, air conditioning technician, surveyor, nurse, teacher, lab tech........etc can earn decent wages. Often time they pay more than administrative skills. Being born in the VI is no guarantee for a job. If you are qualified, yes, you should have first preference with a fair and reasonable salary expectation for the job. The Labour Dept. must make this happen.
don't know how to please these people.
My the only reason they are being there is for the money
When a work permit comes up for renewal, the employer must advertise the job and give full consideration to qualified Bermudian applicants. If there are no qualified Bermudians, non-Bermudians can be rehired, assuming they have not exceeded their six-year term limit or any extension granted to it. But even a person who had received an extension (or a full waiver) of the term limit is not exempted from having his or her job re-advertised and being replaced by a non-Bermudian. That's because the sole purpose of term limits is to avoid creating a situation where Bermuda has a large population of non-Bermudians who have been on the Island for decades demanding more rights. Thus the ten-year work permit, if and when ever granted (considered in March 2010 and approved in principle, for a fee of $20,000, but highly unlikely to be issued except perhaps in special cases) is fairly limited in its scope, although for those who have a waiver already, it will give some security to them and to their employer.