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Labour Minister urged to be strong!

Government has been seeking to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Department of Labour and has been soliciting the public's input in doing so. Photo: VINO
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - Minister for Natural Resources and Labour and Deputy Premier Dr. Kedrick Pickering has been urged to be “strong” in his quest to solve the labour issues affecting the Territory especially regarding employment of Virgin Islanders.

The Labour Minister has been holding meetings across the Territory to hear the concerns and solicit the input of the people on Labour issues and according to a caller on the radio programme Speak Out BVI on Tuesday March 13, 2012, he has attended two of those meetings where it was highlighted that there are “a lot of important questions and situations and troubles and woes affecting the people especially in the hospitality industry. The questions are fast and furious and serious because the situations are”.

The caller said he wanted to encourage the Minister to be strong because he doesn’t want him to take those matters lightly “because they are true and are troubling and in some cases some very hurtful things are going on....all is not well,” said the caller who noted that investigations should be carried out in some instances where the labour codes have allegedly been violated.

The caller also lamented the alleged difficulty of Virgin Islanders in securing jobs, which he alleged was discriminatory since “indigenous BVIslanders” are never thought of as qualified no matter how much training or experience they have and that there is always a better qualified person from outside who is chosen for certain jobs.

“Some people call us lazy and that’s not true because there are lazy people everywhere not only in the BVI including the other people who come to live here but those who go out and work and qualify themselves and are able and willing I don’t think they should put potholes in their way to stop them. We need to change things like that...I think it is a good thing he (Minister Pickering) has started and now we have to take the courage on his part and our part to see it through...We have to go forward as one people to try to solve that problem...we want to be moved in the right direction even if it is at snail’s pace,” the caller said.

Host of the programme Douglas Wheatley said he also wished to join in encouraging the Minister “because this is the easy part, going around and getting the information is the easy part”.

22 Responses to “Labour Minister urged to be strong!”

  • shara parlin (14/03/2012, 07:45) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    The big secret that must be address is the blatant discrimination going on is this country against indigenous b v islanders we who born here second, third, and fourth generations and what is even of more concerning is the perception that the ndp is the government of the whites and island people over the locals and that locals going catch hell!
    • the wild thing! (14/03/2012, 08:13) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Sarah Palin, aka critic- thats an immigration issue! again not appropiate for this article, THEY ARE DISCUSSING LABOUT ISSUES!
      • One Eye Roster (14/03/2012, 09:21) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        i agree with the caller and "Shara Parlin" who whoever you all say the person tis!. the fact are locals are catching hell in this country and no one in their right mind can disagree with that! BAM it the right spot.
    • Real Talk (14/03/2012, 10:05) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Shara "a..hole" Palin, give one example of this, just give one example. Indigenous BVIslanders own OC but Mr. White and Biwater got the contract plus goodies never offered to the 'indigenous BVIslanders, do you agree? Again, I'm waiting on your example.
      • big girls rules (14/03/2012, 12:06) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        Boss real talk scatter your self wid your usual, Old, dull, tired, boring comments!!!! the facts of the matter tis b vi locals are been oppress every day and wid dem island man in power now god help us all!
        • Real Talk (14/03/2012, 14:40) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
          LOL! Again, give an example. The problem is, you just talk without using any common sense. Just because you say it doesn't mean it's true! Give an example or just Shut Up!!
        • talk that (14/03/2012, 15:04) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
          they got the balls to asked for an example eh? heartless set of people
          • the list (14/03/2012, 17:33) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
            let they ask Ray , Ottiz, Mrs. Fraser, Maynard, Fraser former Private Secretary, Dr. Glasgow, the two local immigration officers they sent on leave with no evidence, the two local police officers they sent on leave boss must I go on???? set of oppressive wicked people
    • hmmm (14/03/2012, 12:50) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      you couldn't find a better blog name for yourself, as only Sarah Palin could construct a sentence like that.
  • school children (14/03/2012, 07:53) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    we keep hearing what needs to be done but we ain't hearing when its going to be done
  • WORDS AND DEEDS (14/03/2012, 08:59) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    this labour ting cannot be corrected unless both government and these businesses are serious.
  • COMMON SENSE (14/03/2012, 09:59) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    PIPE DREAMS..... THESE HOTELS AND FOREIGN OWNED COMPANIES GET TO DO WHAT THEY WANT. I HOPE OUR LABOUR MINISTER DON'T SIR COME TO THE BRIBES, FREE FOOD, FREE HOTEL ROOM ECT. I'M STILL SEEING THE SAME ISSUES NOT BEING ADDRESSED PROPERLY. I STILL SEEING QUALITY JOBS THAT LOCALS CAN TO STILL GIVEN TO XPATS. ENOUGH TALK!!! WE NEED ACTION.
    • mask man (14/03/2012, 11:57) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Common, You hit the nail on dey head no one cares about bvislanders anymore
      • do or die (15/03/2012, 00:02) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        the trust companies and most of the big hotels and boating sector is own by whites so they will hire them own kind, so we have to either do something about it, or live with it!
  • REAL DEAL (14/03/2012, 10:01) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    F DEM....F DEM...FAIL DEM.
  • CONCERN (14/03/2012, 11:36) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    labour Minister need to cancell all the permit for worker's that working for people that don't have a business and was selling permit to people. i would suggest that the labour dept check out every new and renewal of permit to make sure such business excist and not only a trde license. Thank you i am seriously concern.
  • hog city (14/03/2012, 13:10) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    when fraser was the minister for labour and wanted to enforce the 7 year law where expats had to leave and reapply....the same ndp made noise....so let them deal with it now
    • Candle (14/03/2012, 15:02) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      First time I am agreeing with someone from "hog city" as you call yourself. One never feels the heat until he is around the fire. The same labour minister is responsible for that clause being removed from the new labout code. He was against it like God is against hell. The issues the BVI now face are not new ones, but we have Omar from the same Fraser's party to blame for a lot of nonsense that happens.
  • Jack johnson (14/03/2012, 13:34) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    While I agree with some of the comments posted, the truth is that the issues are much more difficult than just replacing expats with BVIslanders and this is for the Tourism as well as the Financial Services Industry. The truth of the matter is that the people who invest in these industries meaning those that use our financial services products as well as those that come for the sailing feel more comfortable knowing that they are dealing with their own. Especially for face to face contact or encounters. Let us use the sailing industry as an example. When a white family come to the BVI to rent a sail boat with captain for a week or two the majority of them prefer to have an all white crew aboard meaning a white chef and a white captain. This is the reality that we face. This is what they feel comfortable with and may not necessarily have anything to do with being racist. We all have a preference regardless of the situation. I am sure that we would feel the same way if the tables were turned and we were the ones renting the boat. I am merely using this as an example of how ticklish these issue are.
  • dude (14/03/2012, 14:00) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Labour dept needs to get a grip on the IT industry as well, the only jobs left for locals are help desk, yet we come home as engineers, database administrators, Programmers etc We constantly hear of these jobs being advertised primarily overseas and advertised locally to fulfill legal requirement but by the time you speak to them it's "Oh the add is is the paper but we've already hired someone from NewZealand who will be arriving as soon as their papers are clear, we had no idea there were locals here with the skill" Are they serious??? This need to be addressed.
  • still not impress with Doc (14/03/2012, 23:28) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    the labour minister will impress me when he raises the minimum wage.


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