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‘No to projects using cheap expat labour!’ – Natalio D. Wheatley

President of the People’s Empowerment Party (PEP) Natalio D. Wheatley aka Sowande Uhuru said he is against developers who want to build hotels and other projects here using cheap overseas labour saying this is not the model that should be desired for the Virgin Islands. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – President of the People’s Empowerment Party (PEP) Natalio D. Wheatley aka Sowande Uhuru said he is against developers who want to build hotels and other projects here using cheap overseas labour saying this is not the model that should be desired for the Virgin Islands.

“When I first returned from the Virgin Islands from being away at school that was when the Beef Island project was a big deal and one of the things that really scared me about that project is that they wanted to bring in some workers from China and India,” he said during a phone call into the PEP radio show heard on Monday October 27, 2014 on ZBVI 780 AM.

He said that these low wage workers were being proposed to help build the hotel and other things. “They [spoke about] setting up these work camps; I’m talking about hundreds of workers, about 500 workers,” said Wheatley.

“I don’t think that this is the model that we want to follow in our tourism product because that model is to pay the least amount of money possible and you have some people working here who are barely surviving,” he said.

“I think we want a situation where the people who are working are able to go and shop in our stores and are able to patronize our businesses and that would help to strengthen the economy overall,” he said.

“I am not against a partnership with people from outside, but I think a much more acceptable concept is looking at Maria’s By The Sea for instance, which just did a big expansion,” he said.

“That’s really what you want to see…you don’t just want to see after you work so hard working in your own economy and investing your money, time and energy, somebody else comes in and just reaps all the benefits of your hard work,” said Wheatley.

“We are not against partnerships but we have to see benefits also,” said Wheatley.

24 Responses to “‘No to projects using cheap expat labour!’ – Natalio D. Wheatley”

  • ccc (03/11/2014, 08:48) Like (7) Dislike (10) Reply
    Ndp must go
  • VIP Think Tank (03/11/2014, 09:18) Like (21) Dislike (2) Reply
    I totally agree- what is the point of foreign investment if the indigenous population does not benefit from it- it just becomes another shining hotel on the hill- inaccessible and obscure- I am yet to see how some of these billionaire residents have benefitted Virgin Islanders- apart from the odd donation to this or that program- in fact their separatist lifestyle is a setback to the country- and yes Marias is a great model for local tourism- locals must be front and center of the tourism industry in every measure- FDI in tourism - or whatever part of the economy- must be of benefit to Virgin Islanders in terms of jobs and business opportunities- or leave it alone - let the investor go somewhere else-
  • wize up (03/11/2014, 09:41) Like (12) Dislike (10) Reply
    talk is cheap mr wheatley; all of us look for cheap labour, so let us know what is your point....most of the global products are made in china/mexico because the labour is cheap....
    • dog (03/11/2014, 14:14) Like (5) Dislike (2) Reply
      there are unintended consequences to foreign cheap labour as pointed out by Mr Wheatley and what was realized in Beef Island. Foreigners need (temporary) housing. Depending on how long the job is, some bring their families who may support super markets, but also use health care and schools, infrastructure, and after 5-6 yrs, some workers may opt to stay with their families creating a housing crunch. So those poorly built and situated "temporary housing" now becomes permanent. Other strains could be created as paychecks get sent back home and money doesn't get circulated on the island. This kind of thing is the trade-off.
    • VG-Man (03/11/2014, 16:09) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
      I am sorry @Wize Up, but Mr. Wheatley is absolutely correct.
      We must continue to work at improving our way of life and empowering ourselves; (meaning, our education system, better wages, simplify the process for nationals to create businesses that in turn will employ other BVI-slanders and whoever else). Money makes the mare run it is said. It takes money to do those things mentioned; and difficult to do on low, minimum wage jobs. A 2-year scholarship can easily cost $48-50,000. Imagine working for let's say $4.00-$5.00 an hour, with the responsibility of sending your two teenagers away to a reputable college/university.
      Slavery itself was about free labour in which slave owners exploited workers for their own enrichment. Today, 400 years after slavery, there are business owners/others, still exploiting people for cheap labour.
      The fact that we can purchase cheap Chinese products (produced by workers in the sweat shops) doesn't make it right and desirable.
      Good things are however, beginning to happen. Mr. Richard Brandson recently had an Epiphany, in which he found it fitting that his employees (salaried), be entitled to "Unlimited and unmonitored vacation time". Guess what the outcome of that decisions will mean for Mr. Brandson. Highly motivated, committed and Productive employees; an all around Winner.
      See link: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/09/richard_branson_virgin_unlimited_vacation_time.html
    • nightly reader (03/11/2014, 19:53) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      That's the reason why we and most of people in the other countries are suffering because of this cheap labor system, I agree, can't have investers come bring cheap paid workers and locals can't get a work and they can do the same work same weh. Let the locals do what ever they can to feed their family and building the economy.
    • zip (04/11/2014, 07:23) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Speak for yourself wize up not all?
  • DA VOICE (03/11/2014, 10:20) Like (24) Dislike (3) Reply
    WHY Mr. wheatley is not concern about the $4 per hours being paid here to our owned people? am sure those 500 workers would be getting more than that. fight for better wages for your people and stop playing politrick
    • lmao (03/11/2014, 13:16) Like (10) Dislike (1) Reply

      How many locals you know getting paid $4.00 an hour? I swear you all love to chat s..t.

      • pat (03/11/2014, 14:07) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
        I WISH I could find a person getting $4 an hour. I could triple it and still be ahead of what I am being charged now. that is not to say I condone sub-par payment.
      • oh (03/11/2014, 16:36) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
        There are alot of locals working for the min wage ,some getting these min wage jobs as part time jobs now cause there office jobs cant meet ends meet .
      • Five star (05/11/2014, 06:50) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        OMG ....lmao....you are so dum if you don't know what going on in the country .take the wax out of your eyes i know of twenty people working for $4.00 an hour right here in Road Town ...and all of those people have families...and are contributing to the economy...it's time the government look into it's people and help them help themselves....better wages makes a better country .
  • tes (03/11/2014, 11:14) Like (3) Dislike (4) Reply
    marias by the sea is locally owned, but what percentage of the employee are BVIslanders? I would guess that there are employees from down-islands working there. There are DEFINITELY people working there from the Philippines.
  • ------------------ (03/11/2014, 13:31) Like (4) Dislike (3) Reply
    Yea the NDP wants to turn the BVI in a high rise set of hotels for the rich and have low wages laborers but there time is up next year BAM
  • Think Tank (03/11/2014, 13:39) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Foolishness, BVI stone broke and desperately needs inward investment. Don’t think in any position to be dictating best models, PEP, NDP or VIP. Boot not on our foot anymore. Get real.
  • bvi voter (03/11/2014, 14:58) Like (0) Dislike (8) Reply
    This is an easy one to correct. If you can not vote in the BVI you can not hold a job in the BVI!
    • Online Now (03/11/2014, 15:57) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
      "This is an easy one to correct. If you can not vote in the BVI you can not hold a job in the BVI!" ... And bang there would go all industries! Unless of course you are suggesting giving the vote to all expats (ha, ha).
  • ooooo (03/11/2014, 15:04) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    the ndp only thinking chinese ? we got one minister bringing in everything from china for government...a big conflict of interest
    • Citizen (03/11/2014, 18:32) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Back in the days that Minister was one of the few shopping out of China. Now everyone including yourself can order whatever they want directly from China. Shipping time; 45 days. I personally got a trailer load coming by next month. I won't tell you my connect, but you can check out Alibaba.com if your interested.
  • chad (03/11/2014, 22:33) Like (7) Dislike (1) Reply
    What is Sowande's experience or background in running any type of business? The only thing I know of him ever running is his mouth. To think BVI politicians can tell big investors who to hire is laughable. Where are the big investors lately? They are busy developing and investing in other countries while we sit here playing games and listening to fools who have no clue. You are saying locals should be paid more just because they're local, not because they can do a better job? I pray this man try running his own business using this model and see if he make it a week passed ribbon cutting. This is just embarrassing to read. Totally misguided emotional nonsense. Imagine if the late HL Stoutt had this stupid approach to things, where would the BVI be now?
  • zoe (03/11/2014, 23:05) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    if the VIP had done this, the NDP bloggers would be howling bloody murder.

    Hypocrits!
  • just asking.... (03/11/2014, 23:15) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Why would PEP continue on the path NDP started.
  • ta ta (03/11/2014, 23:31) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Voters only cast their votes every 4 years. Developers make donations to party and 'other' funds all the time. Guess which ones these politicians are listening to.
  • time will tell (04/11/2014, 06:41) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
    Some of you hate hearing the truth but the so called cheap labour has more experience and skills than the local worker who want a ransom to do a days work. They rip off their own people for years and now its come back to bite them in the @ss and they don't like it.


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