Unemployed Caymanians reach 900
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 10/14/2009 - 16:56
One of the headlines in the Net News of 14 October 2009 read “Unemployed Caymanians reach 900”.
It would be helpful if the Department of Employment Relations could indicate exactly what level these unemployed Caymanians are at, e.g. how many are at managerial level, at mid-level, or low level, e.g. high school lever/high school diploma entry level.
We keep complaining that the work permit holders are the reason why Caymanians cannot get jobs. Take all the holders of work permits who are domestic helpers, carpenters, labourers, kitchen helpers, handyman, gardner, cashier, etc. I am sure these positions make up a significant amount of work permits.
Now....how many of those 900 unemployed Caymanians would be willing to take one of these jobs.....?? Very few I am sure. I am believing more and more that Caymanians are unemployed by choice rather than anything else. Otherwise, these types of jobs would not need to be held by a work permit holder.
Bottom line is....Caymanians are not willing to work for what the work permit holder is willing to work for. So, the employer has no choice but to hire non Caymanians. I will say it again...our Caymanian people need to be educated. In this day in age, there is very little distance you can go without that little piece of paper in your hand. Build the schools. Educate our children. This will reduce unemployment in the long run.
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Blame big Mac
i think big mac is a sell out, he is slowly giving away our country to everyone. What happens is they need to rob Big Mac then maybe we get some change around here
Class Action Lawsuits for Discrimination
Joint effort has been needed for many years to handle discrimination against Caymanians through the court system and get a hold on this issue that is plaguing the Caymanian employees once and for all. Surely is quite visibly even in the media.
Fancy giving a few concrete
Fancy giving a few concrete examples? All the discrimination I see in the marketplace is in favor of Caymanians.
Here we go again. Here are
Here we go again. Here are the actual statistics (as actual as statistics can be) from 1992-2008, the picture some will paint is not as bad as it might seem and not as bad as it has been in past years either. I would take 4% in 2008 over the 7.5% in 2001 any day although ideally it should really be 0% all the time, that is just a tad unrealistic to expect.
http://www.eso.ky/docum1/docum83.pdf
Caymanian unemployment
I have ben really impressed with the work gangs that have been around recently, clearing up litter, tidying overgrown hedges etc. Because of the work I do, I have to travel 2 - 4 times a day between Bodden Town and George Town and so I have seen a lot of them.
Every time I passed these gangs they were working. I never saw even one of them just sitting in the shade resting. They worked solidly all day and made me feel guilty as I drove past them in my air-conditioned car while the sun beat down on them. They have made a real difference for the better too, especially west of Savannah.
Does anyone know how much they were paid? Whatever it was they deserved more.
Now, I assume, most of them are unemployed again. Here's an idea: if all government workers gave up ½ of 1% of their annual salaries ($140 - 200 p.a. on average but around $800 for an MLA) , these men - I didn't see any women - could be employed full time and the whole island would benefit.
I am not a government worker, but I would be willing to donate ½ of 1% of my own salary (about $550 p.a.), if I could be certain that the money was going to create employment for out-of-work Caymanians and I am sure that many others in the private sector would be happy to contribute too. I would not want it going to any other nationalities. It is Caymanian unemployment that must be tackled.
Just as companies sponsor roundabouts, they could sponsor work gangs. For example, "Hurley's Force" in their distinctive purple tops could be responsible for the area between Crewe Road and Savannah. They'd get a bigger and better return than sponsoring a traffic circle.
All the civil servants I have asked about this - just my wife and her colleague I'm afraid - are very much in favour of it.
Mckeeva, if you're reading this, and I'm told that you do, how about it?
I too am impressed by the
I too am impressed by the work the clean-up gangs have been doing, its certainly making a difference for us here in BT, and they're certainly working hard. Having the benefit of working in A/C I could not blame the workers if they wanted to take 5 mins in the shade under a tree when they are working so hard out there.
They're (supposed to be) getting paid $10 per hour for a 35 hour week and they are being provided with lunch and water. I say supposed to be because my boyfriend is one of the workers out there and from the outset he has not been paid what he should have been, instead being sent home with 3 days money instead of 5 and told to come back the next week for the rest. I find this disturbing given that the funds for this project were stated by our government to already be in place. If this is the case, why are there insufficient funds to pay all the workers at the end of the week? These guys are still out there working, although there don't seem to be so many as when the project began. My understanding is that the project will continue for perhaps 1-2 more weeks but that no official cut-off date has yet been given. My boyfriend is out there working on the BT crews. He really is enjoying the chance to do some paid work again. He is never shy of hard work and its good to see him coming home at the end of the day feeling like he has achieved something, albeit just for a short time.
One thing I have been saying to my friends and colleagues, who are also impressed with the effect the clean-up has had island-wide, is that its a pity the government couldn't keep on 4 or 5 workers out of each district to keep their districts clean full time after this project has ended, because it won't take long at all for all the litter and junk to pile up all over again. I am sure that private sector businesses would be willing to sponsor this and other initiatives, thus saving the government money if it meant that the island could always be kept clean.
GOVERNMENT SANITATION SERVICES OR ENVIRONMENTAL?
Clearly there is a decline of Cayman Islands municipal or district services from a level of some previous time now that the dirt and trash is out of control. This could be due to the lack of sentiments to reinforce or increase district government budgeted funds allocated for service providers, i.e. the Department of Santation, Environmental, Garbage pickup personnel in each division or district in the Cayman Islands for the purposes of keeping Cayman Clean. A Top World Financial Leader and a Tourism Destination.
Since there is such a large shift in population towards an influx of people entering the country, at such a rapid speed, the complexity of this social melting pot has indeed contributed and has merged together with the local sentiments of those who are already oppressed from joblessness and loss of dignity. Freely throwing trash on the roadside or in front of businesses or government offices comes easy under these circumstances. The elite community is now at the mercy of the lower status majority to keep Cayman Clean, it has become a class or national warfare.
Some rationale needs to be proposed to combat the result of this social decline.
In other words, this has been a move towards a third world mentality and it must be resolved as soon as possible if the Cayman Islands is to gain the respect of tourists and local or foreign investors.
Florence Goring-Nozza
Why are Caymanians unemployed Here's the answer
Caymanians are unemployede because they have been betrayed by their own government and betrayed by eachother. Many Caymanian business men and women have refused to employ Caymanians beause they are exploiting foreign labor paying them less than mimum wage. the government allows this.
This is in essence corruption. Caymanians have need for the maximum wage, not minimum wage;they have mortgages, school fees, car notes, rent, they need clothing and much more. X-pats are sending millions of dollars overseas and a tax should be imposed on all money transfers that's only fair.
Caymanians have a sense of pride and should not let anyone take that from them, it is a shame how the immigration Board and the labor office is destroying the lives of its own people by not protecting their job interest.
The rich and well to do Caymanians are doing nothing to help their own, they look down on those in need, staying far from them, and this is also a reason for the continual poverty that they have to endure.
I recommend that the churches start to employ these people or begin to put together some kind of job referral service together for these unemployed. Every church should have these services, they are raking in milions of dollars annually in tithes and offerings, its time to give something back and get these people off the streets. What is the church doing about crime, are they actively involved, the Judges should release these people into the hands of the Pastors when they come out of prison and on probation, rehabilitating them and changing their lives. Thats the job of the church, not government.
Given that there are
Given that there are certainly plenty of jobs these Caymanians are qualified for, I would say that the number of actual unemployed is much lower. (For statistical purposes, to qualify as unemployed one must be actively seeking employment at all levels they are qualifed to work, subject to previous employment/standard of living). Look at all the jobs advertised in every Friday paper. One of the biggest problems here that has led to such "unemployment" is that few people realise even $5-10 an hour is a whole lot better than $0. Too many Caymanians think every job must be a career-type job. It's a recession! Take any job available and when times get better try again for the positions you really want. But at least until that point you can bring home something...
ITS A RECESSON? THEN STOP GRANTING WORK PERMITS HURTING CAYMANIA
Too many Caymanians think every job must be a career-type job. It's a recession?! Take any job available and when times get better try again for the positions you really want. But at least until that point you can bring home something...?
Hey there joker, that day will never come under the UDP, they are making big plans to push the pay check even further away from Caymanians. Inviting the whole world to locate to the cayman Islands with no Health or social checks and balances.
So this is all B.S you're talking about.
This is Crap!
Here's what's happening to these poor Caymanians
GOVERNMENT HAS NO BUSINESS GRANTING ALL THESE WORK PERMITS DURING A RECESSION !! IT WORSENS THE FINANCIAL SITUATION OF THEIR OWN PEOPLE.
YOU'RE ACTUALLY ASKING CAYMANIANS TO TAKE THE CRUMBS (like Dogs) THAT FALL OFF THE TABLES OF THE X-PATS EATING THEIR LAVISH MEALS PAID FOR WITH THE LAVISH SALARIES THAT THE LOCAL CORPORATIONS AND BUSINESS ARE ALLOWED TO PAY THEM ! WITH THE BLESSING OF THE LABOR OFFICE AND THE CAYMAN IMMIGRATION BOARD.
This is B.S. Caymanians must never bow to this level and must continue fighting for what is theirs and vote out of office those elected that offer them slave labor working in the hot sun like the negro slaves of yester year. this is very unhealthy, it causes heat stroke and some individuals with certain health conditions are at risk for fatality. How ignorant can one get. This is serious You have th audacity to make such statements that insult the very intelligence of our men and women of the Cayman Islands.
Mr. McKeeva Bush should not be aplauded for offering them cleanup work, he should resign for not making sure that the private sector hires Caymanians for a permanent position,instead of guest workers on a work permit granted by their own government. It's a down right disgrace, recession or no recession. If its a recession then why all the work permit granting and why do we have 900 unemployed Caymanians that are forced to work like indian and black slaves. I thought England had abolished slavery in her colonies over centuries ago. Are we going backwards. Mr. Ezard miller please put a strategic plan in place for 2013 to give Caymanians back their dignity because under this current umbrella they are losing their dignity and national pride and losing it fast.
This is how you treat dogs, not citizens! You throw crumbs at the dogs around your table, not people. What the hell is McKeeva Bush trying to do? Where are the permanent jobs created for these men who need to feed their families on a weekly and monthly basis. Why are the local businesses refusing to hire Caymanians allowed to stay in business? Why arn't those on work permits not on their way home to make room for these men who are citizens?
Caymanians had better get together and make demands of their leaders demanding change with no excuses. This is a downright disgrace. I am looking at this whole matter thru the eyes of a person who sees much further that the nose, it is much deeper and wider than the average person can fathom, there are serious indicators that spell a more serious position for the people of the Cayman Islands and it is quite an ugly picture to behold.
The men that labored in the hot sun cleaning up the streets of Cayman are applauded for their efforts and we thank them BUT not only were THEY humiliated but it was an act of abuse committed against by this elected government to have the audacity to throw crumbs at them that fall from the tables of the X-pats, where in the Caymanians should have been sitting down at the table with dignity and pride eating the choicest food ina country that says it's the what 5th largest Financial center of the World?! come on, something is wrong, there's corruption somewhere, I smell it..
Don't you dare consider independence under this tyle of government, Caymanians will fart for the rest of your life. This is a shame!
Email this to your friends and family.
I took your advice and
I took your advice and emailed this to some of my friends. They found your crazy rantings quite amusing. We discussed it over yet another lavish meal. We have lavish meals almost every night.
Unfortunately you are wrong -
Unfortunately you are wrong - I know unemployed persons with college degrees who are desperately seeking employment and have applied for $5 and CI$6 per hour jobs, been interviewed and have not even been called back - these employers have numerous permit holders and are just not hiring the out of work Caymanians. There is reason for this animosity against foreigners right now and this is a prime example why.
well take it up with
well take it up with employment services if you feel laws have been broken or you have been discriminated against. however i don't believe your 'story' will hold up....
This just does not pass the
This just does not pass the BS test.
I too have first hand
I too have first hand knowledge of these issues and I am afraid it does pass the test. Caymanians are more expensive to employ because they are not exempt from pensions (unlike expats in the first 9 months here) and further, Caymanians in lesser paying jobs are less desireable to hire as they assert rights to overtime and gratuities etc (as required by law) and are also more likely to move on when the next better opportunity presents itself.
So you are saying that expats
So you are saying that expats work harder for less money and are more reliable since they won't wander off at the first opportunity.
Now how is it that we're going to sell employers the benefits of hiring Caymanians?
Don't shoot the messenger -
Don't shoot the messenger - but yes, largely because our existing laws are not enforced, and because you think indentured servitude is a good quality in an employee.
This figure is not accurate.
This figure is not accurate. I know at least 20 to 30 people who are unemployed and who are not registered with the DER - so imagine how many are really out there. This department is so lacking in really helping to get people employment and if you are employable and you register with the DER then prospective employers dont want to hire you because they feel if you were any good you would not need to register with the DER. The Immigration in the past has been a joke - it is probably too early to be bad mouthing them as the new boards have not really had a chance to prove themselves yet. WE will see.
Of course it is not accurate.
Of course it is not accurate. Most of the statistics are nowhere close. 900 unemployed turned up for one roadside cleanup during working hours. It would be miraculous if that was every unemployed person from every district on all 3 Islands. About 100 were laid off only last week.
Back to Slavery?
That writer is so right about the Cleaning of the streets labor humiliating the men of Cayman while the X-pats are sitting in lavish airconditioned offices and their 12 in thick lavish carpets, sipping tea with our elected officials negotiating special concessions for work permits at the expense of innocent abused and victimized Caymanians struggling to make a living. This government's term is as sickening as can be. The first item on the UDP's agenda should have been providing PERMANENT JOBS FOR CAYMANIANS, not making an inaugural speech about the new Berthing Docking facility! , that's as capitalist as can be and this is what ruined countries like Jamaica, Haiti and all other Caribbean nations where leaders are more concerned about their Developers who are their campaign financiers than the people who elected them to office. Its a sham and a shame.. this is B .S.
CAYMAN NEEDS A THIRD PARTY and a strong Independent one led by Mr. Ezzared Miller a man for the people, by the people holding them accountable.
The old reggae song says "We want Martin Luther King for President"
Its time to write another song "We want Mr.Ezzard Miller for Premiere"
I'll bet you between now and 2013 there will be a change of leadership in the UDP Party. It happens in every government where the people are not put first over other pet peas.
How absurd!!
My Good God, how absurd is your post!!
I guarantee you that none of the 'poor' (but working) Caymanians on the 'street gangs' are certified accountants or professionals actively seeking work in that field.
I am here (not in the financial field as I have no qualifications to support an application there) but none the less performing a role which has been openly advertised without a responding application from a Caymanian... I am sure the majority of ex-pats went through the same process as I have.
I do not go home after a long day to quaff down tea whilst reclining on my 12" thick carpet, but return to a very humble abode in TI (I pay handsomely in rent for that too).
I wonder what were the numbers of applicants the Ritz recently received after setting up the very poorly attended 'workshops' to introduce the local people into the hospitality industry, encouraging people to make that first step on the employment ladder and work their way up that ladder through hard work and commitment from there. (I guess there weren't enough Managerial positions there for unqualified people to apply for??)
As I will never vote, I don't care too much about the 'politics of it all' (UDP / PPM) but then that might provide me with an 'unbiased' point of view. I'm sure that he is not smart enough to create 500 managerial roles in the financial / law sectors but I have heard numerous encouraging 'calls to work' from your new Premier - even going so far to say "stop whining amongst yourselves and get out there working" - I wouldn't dare say that I agree with him.
I don't know what sickens me
I don't know what sickens me most, your attitude to honest work or your ignorance of how the labour market works!
There is absolutely nothing wrong with manual labour. Why should earning a decent hourly wage ( and $10 an hour is decent in Cayman for basic manual work ) for a decent days work be humiliating to anyone?
I have had many manual jobs, including street cleaning in my youth and never once felt humiliated. I needed to work to earn money, simple as that. Why should Caymanians feel any different? The only humiliating aspect of this is your suggestion that somehow this honest work is slavery.
When I read posters on this site indignantly stating that Caymanians do not have a entitlement attitude, I'm going to refer them to your post. You and Caymanians of the same opinion have it in spades!
Too right, no Caymanian
Too right, no Caymanian should have a demeaning labour intensive job, those inferior expat nationalities should do them.
We are far more superior and should be at the very least manager level in an office so we can control those who are inferior to us.
PS where I can get one of those 1 foot deep carpets you mention, they sound super soft
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