Staffing plans to remain under wraps

| 20/04/2015 | 55 Comments
Cayman News Service

Ezzard Miller in the LA (Photo by Dennie Warren Jr)

(CNS): Government has rejected a private member’s motion to allow public access to all business staffing plans to help the unemployed learn more about career opportunities, training and scholarships available in the local market. Although government has talked about the need for more transparency regarding immigration via its new e-government initiative, the premier rejected this motion because of what he described as “commercial considerations”.

Alden McLaughlin accepted that the Business Staffing Plan Board process is not working but he said if government were to mandate public access to the plans, there would be a “big hue and cry” from the business community.

The motion was brought by Ezzard Miller, the member for North Side, who pointed out that the plans are designed to inform immigration about what the future workforce needs are for companies with 15 or more staff. It is supposed to show what plans are in place to replace permit holders in senior posts with locals, the training regimes in firms and the scholarships they offer. However, the system is failing and employers are not following the plans.

Miller argued that having access to plans would help young qualified Caymanians returning home from college know what vacancies will be available. It would show training opportunities for posts currently held by permit holders in the locals’ chosen career fields and help hold employers accountable to the plans and the law.

But McLaughlin told his legislative colleagues that the information was sensitive, though he acknowledged the system does not work.

“The issues raised by member are of concerns to the government as well,” he said. “We acknowledge that the business staffing plan regime is not working as envisioned,” he continued, adding that there was not adequate follow-up with the regulations on the training of the people supposedly replacing staff.

He admitted government didn’t have the mechanisms in place but it was working to address the problem.

“The whole business staffing plan regime has become misinterpreted and misapplied,” he said, pointing out that it was never designed to be just another work permit granting board. “Government acknowledges that the regime has not worked for many years as envisaged and it is taking steps to deal with those particular issues.”

While he sympathized with the motion, he said government could not accept it because of “commercial considerations”.

Using two law firms as an example, McLaughlin suggested that if competing firms were to have access to each other’s plans for growth in specific practice areas,  it “would create significant issues”, as he described the potential “big hue and cry” if their plans were available to their competitors.

Following government’s rejection, Miller said he was again “truly disappointed” that the government was not supporting a simple amendment that he claimed would provide opportunities for employment and help government regulate the regime.

“We will never be able to afford to provide resources to enforce this adequately against the employers we are protecting here. The government has concerns over competitors knowing what each other are doing but there is nothing in these plans that is commercially sensitive. It is just about staffing requirements,” he said, adding that there was nothing in any plan that wasn’t public knowledge at some point separately, as the jobs are advertised with details of the roles and salaries.

“We have to stop being on the side of the employers. Somebody here has to start advocating for the employee. We are providing everything the government can think of to make it easier for an employer to get a permit,” Miller said, “but a person looking for employment has very little assistance and very little access to the kind of information that they need.”

He warned that families were mortgaging themselves to the hilt to educate their kids and then they can’t get jobs “because we won’t limit permits”, as he pointed out that many young unemployed Caymanians were well-educated students “who have excelled”.

Younger students still at school were turning away from overseas education because they see their friends and family spending thousands on education but instead of getting jobs, people are losing their homes.

“But government is worried about one law firm finding out about what another law firm is doing to get more money to add to their billions of dollars that they are making and banking it overseas,” Miller told the House.

He berated the Business Staffing Plan Board, which he referred to as a “bunch of goons” after his own experience with them when he discovered that they do not know the law which governs their work. He complained that the board had ignored his and East End MLA Arden McLean’s reports to them about rogue employers. Miller questioned why no employers had been fined after the $20,000 penalty was introduced for employers that don’t report when a Caymanian has applied for a job.

“We all know that they are not doing it … but we are not enforcing the law,” Miller added.

Appealing to the government benches, he said, “All we want is to allow unemployed qualified locals to go into a firm and ask to see their business staffing plans.”

That way, he said, they can find out what opportunities are available in preparation to apply for posts being held by permit holders when they expire.

“They can’t get that information anywhere else because if they go to immigration, they are going to tell them it’s private information and if they try to FOI the information, the law firms are tying it up in court saying immigration should not have released the information,” he stated. “How are Caymanians to know what is available?”

Despite the indication that government was rejecting his motion, Miller said he had a responsibility to raise the issue and told his colleagues that if his idea for access to staffing plans was not part of the solution, then government had “better find something else and find it soon”.

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Category: Jobs, Local News, Politics

Comments (55)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Ezzard’s idea of the government micromanaging businesses in Cayman shows his lack of understanding the nature of business in general.

  2. JTB says:

    The ‘revolution’ Cayman needs is the removal of bigoted, ignorant, backward-looking dinosaurs like Ezzard Miller from its public life

  3. Anonymous says:

    Why when you go to Al Thompson, Kirks Market or Hurleys there are plenty of Caymanians working there, because the owners are willing to pay their help a little more unlike the other supermarket or lumber yard!!!!!

    Until the all rich Caymanians who own these businesses decide to look deep into their pockets and pay their help a little more we won’t see Caymanians cleaning our offices, cleaning our pools, or checking us out at the liquor store. It is ridiculous for anyone to think a Caymanian could have a family and children and house on $4 an hour.

    • Anonymous says:

      You aren’t supposed to have a family and children and house on $4 per hour. You are supposed to be 16 and working your first job for extra pocket money while living at home. Minimum wage is not meant to be a livable wage. It’s meant to inject a bit more money into the economy. Nothing else will change until young people learn that their first job isn’t meant to buy them everything. It’s meant to be experience, pocket money, and a first step into the labour force from which to move up and onwards to better things. There is this idea here in the Cayman Islands that taking a basic low pay job means for life. It doesn’t have to be your career. It can be a stepping stone. However, it’s no good as a stepping stone if you don’t take it, don’t show up, play on your phone the entire time, never learn anything and leave with a poor reference. That’s called an opportunity wasted.

      If anything, low paying jobs encourage hard work. My first job was roofing. I also had a second job in a gas station that paid less but was easier by comparison. The one taught me the value of physical labour and hard work. The other taught me how to speak to customers and handle cash. Neither was a career but both taught me skills I use in my current career. The opportunities in the Cayman Islands are amazing. It’s a shame all everyone does is complain instead of seizing the reins.

    • Sandboy says:

      That’s fine if the Caymanian who is checking out in a liquor store, cleaning offices or pools is qualified and experienced to gain more lucrative employment.

  4. Anonymous says:

    ezzard wants bloodshed and revolution I don’t know why this man is not arrested for what he encourages He is a disgrace
    Furthermore why hasent CNS published his latest rant in the LA

    • Anonymous says:

      A lot of people are up in arms about what Ezzard Miller said. Are his words too strong for Cayman and revolution only happens in places other than Cayman? Well I remember well that our politicians stuck their heads in the sand and said we had no gangs. Then what happened? Suddenly out of the blue (sarcasm), gangs surfaced. So it may not happen quite as Mr Miller described but when you listen to the angry young people who come home from university and who are not connected to someone in high authority and therefore cannot find a job I too am sure there will be some sort of uprising that will not be good for Cayman but just like gangs, its coming! Mark Ezzard’s words!

      • Anonymous says:

        Good luck with that bobo, that’ll mean you have to get out of bed, get off your phone and show commitment, not real Caymanian strongpoints.

  5. Anonymous says:

    The habitual complainers in this country are forever complaining about Caymanians being turned down for jobs.
    All that has to happen is a prospective applicant advises the labour department that they were turned down for a position and the company’s H R department have to submit a written report as to why they refused to employ the person.
    Is it that the politicians are afraid of asking the employer what their reasons were.
    Try it Ezzard you may just be told the truth

    • Anonymous says:

      Yes, and all a helper who doesn’t get health insurance has to do is file a complaint against her employer. How does that work out? Think about it!

  6. Anonymous says:

    A major flaw in the country is the education system. When you have students attacking teachers and all other sots of disruption to the learning process you have a dysfunctional educational system.
    Ezzard would be better served to focus his laser intellect toward fixing a broken educational system. Oh wait, I forgot that would mean Ezzard going after voters instead of foreigners and that would never do.

  7. Anonymous says:

    Paper qualifications may achieve a first interview, but sophisticated private sector firms recruiting for positions of responsibility must interview whoever they want from anywhere in the world. They make their own hiring choices based on many other criteria for establishing the best and most competitive fit in their industry. Our firms are rewarded for hiring local and penalized through permit fees, and moving costs to import labour – ergo, every one of our firms would hire 100% local if it were always the best fit.

    If the Ezzardites and Rooster flock want to artificially limit the labour pool by dictating additional affirmative action policy to our largest firms, then those firms will in turn rationalize whether or not to stay domiciled here. At no point will competitive business be told what to do. There are other tax neutral jurisdictions in the world, without all these headaches that would welcome these businesses with open arms. Cayman and Bermuda were such places when Bahamas did this in 1970s. Whole industries in their economy moved elsewhere. That is the way it is. An important cautionary tale to remember.

    The aspiring Rebellion Leader would do better to work to offer workshops for the aspiring green college graduates: career planning – i.e., what do you want to do with your life; how to write a resume in that field (to get an interview); how to prepare for the interview, the importance of showing up, presentation, questions to ask (towards maybe getting a second round interview); etc. That might make some of the marginal local candidates present better. Green returning graduates need to manage their expectations and work to make themselves stand out over the long haul. They are not going to slot into automatic partner positions after graduation. Kids in late high school and college should be applying for summer internships by Christmas the previous year so they stand a chance of leaving the starting gate with some valuable industry experience in the career path of their choice.

    • Comet says:

      So what happens to the locals? Are we just to have an open door policy and no work?

      • Anonymous says:

        Perhaps you didn’t read the post carefully enough. You are still out of work if the firms relocated to a jurisdiction that is more friendly to them hiring who they choose. The banks have already started leaving. They will go where they can look after their interests. You have to get their interests lined up with yours or yours lined up with theirs if you want employment. You can’t just force them to hire people they don’t want or need. Keep trying and see how many more companies leave and take all their jobs and contribution to the GDP with them.

      • Garfield says:

        What about locals? Very few locals turned up for good paying jobs recently offered at a job fair by the Royal Caymanian Police Force. Locals need to get off their couches and start applying for jobs when they are obviously given first opportunities over expatriates. Stop the whining and get going.

  8. Anonymous says:

    We need too face some facts. First amongst them is that under our Law every position held by a non Caymanian is (subject to appropriate exceptions in appropriate circumstances) a potential vacancy to a suitable Caymanian applicant. If even immigration does not consistently agree that, and everyone can now advance to PR and status, there may be no real chance of a favorable outcome for existing Caymanian aspirants. Follow/Enforce the Law or change it! Consistently ignoring it leads to dissent and ultimately chaos.

  9. Watchin Carefully says:

    Yes Anonymous 9:45a; that’s the Prince of Pretty for you!

  10. Anonymous says:

    PPM has double standards and reversed priorities! They are pushing to register all cancer patients without any form of identity protection safeguards in place, yet Alden steadfastly protects the sensitivity of staffing plan information – protecting a non-compliant business community which consisently fails to follow existing Laws!!??. What a paradox!

    They refuse to release relevant information on a public company, CAL, regarding costs of supporting supporting the Brac route with leased aircraft with some absurd excuse that its competitively sensitive!

    Is this what PPM calls transparency??!!

  11. Anonymous says:

    You don’t actually expect law firms to follow the law, do you? Especially if you never make them.

  12. Anonymous says:

    The government could care less about Caymanians. If they themselves would take some interest in these business staffing plans they would see instances where Caymanians have been identified to take over positions held by expats but that such a decision is never communicated to the Caymanians themselves and no effort is ever made to actually start working on the transition. They will also see instances where the plan calls for a Caymanian to take over a position within one to two years but shortly after submitting the plan the same employer will signs a guarantee for a 20 year mortgage for the same expat worker mentioned in the business plan.

    Being a Caymanian alone is not a reason to hire anyone. However, what we have going on in the Cayman islands is nothing short of shameful.

    • Anonymous says:

      I think its more like they don’t care full stop as long as their pockets are lined, their jobs are protected and their families prosper.

  13. Anonymous says:

    Mr Miller and the government seem obsessed with making out the employers to be the “baddies” when in reality, its the government’s responsibility (at least in any other civilised society) to prepare their locals for the workforce, and not the employers duty to make up for the repeated shortcomings and convenient “blindness” of successive administrations over the years, who still fail to provide a sound education to all Caymanians, and instead look to the companies that invest in Cayman to do the educating for them. This prehistoric attitude MUST stop. It is divisive and in the long run, puts companies off investing in Cayman, as in the normal world, a government does not make staffing decisions on behalf of private enterprise..

    • Time For Change says:

      So what is your solution? Allow anyone in? scrap immigration? no need to employ anyone local just your friends? Odd most countries have some immigration and protection for their own I could not got work in the US without a permit/ or a green card so whats wrong with protecting Caymanians? or at least giving them a fair shot? I am tired of this stereo-type that all Caymanians are crap workers and dishonest. Sure there are some like that but there are some like that in all cultures. Time to stop the discrimination!!!!!

      • Sandboy says:

        Err, because Cayman has a ‘local’ population of 30,000, with an employable population of perhaps 10,000, and the U.S has a population of 250,000,000+.
        Caymanians need to understand that just because someone gets an education it doesn’t mean they are automatically suited to a particular role. Experience and aptitude must take a leading role, nationality and qualification isn’t a shoe-in for employment, regardless of the country in which you reside.

        • Anonymous says:

          Err… qualified Caymanians are not entitled to jobs in the US. Are you suggesting that qualified Americans have some entitlement to jobs here?

          And I suppose the 10,000 Caymanians you consider employable are all cabinet status recipients (because that is about the number of Caymanians who owe their status to that fiasco).

          • Sandboy says:

            Doh!! If there is a total local population of approximately 30,000, (as confirmed in the latest census) then do the maths. Subtract the young, the old, the sick the lame and the lazy, and you will end up with a number that is on or around 10,000. Obviously that is a best guess, but I doubt that a population so small could sustain or produce many more. As for the U.S, no I’m not suggesting that qualified US citizens have some entitlement to jobs here, unless of course they are the very best person for the job offered. And it certainly wasn’t suggested that Caymanians have any rights in the U.S with the exception of those who apply, interview and are considered the best applicant for a potential job. That is the same in any westernised country and business flourishes because of it.
            The actual point that was being made was that it is ridiculous to compare a diminutive population and employment pool with countries whose populations exceed Cayman by several or hundreds of millions.
            All successful economies have issues with immigration, but business must be entitled to employ the very best from the global market, especially when they are global companies.
            Of course Caymanians are entitled to employment, but they must be able to compete at all levels, as U.S, UK and most other western citizens have to. It’s a tough world out there and bigoted tantrums won’t make your case any more credible to those who have actually travelled around the world to get experience, knowledge and employment.
            And just for good measure, those final bigoted words of yours just confirm in most reasonable minded people why Cayman is in this mess in the first place. Those status grants you bitterly resent so much were just as lawful as the many thousands that have been granted since the 60’s when this countries population was expanded by a huge influx of expat labour. Most of you so called ‘locals’ are descendants of those Hondurans, Cubans, Jamaicans and a multitude of other nationalities.
            So learn to read and understand before you make dumbass comments, and keep your hypocritical bigotry for those who are uneducated enough to believe it.

            • Anonymous says:

              You are delusional, or sadly misguided and ignorant on many levels.

              • Anonymous says:

                Sandboy has a point! So please enlighten us, but take care not to let your bigotry blind you. History is there for all to see, as are the census results and demographic breakdowns from the 1960’s to date. Exactly what is delusional about historical, social and statistical facts?
                Please explain how a total population of less than 10,000 in 1960, (including many expats from the UK, US and Canada) became a total ‘local’ population of 30,000 in 50 years. And how such a small 60’s population managed the sudden influx of offshore finance and tourism in the 70’s without a massive leap in expat labour?
                Surely if there was a total of 10k including many foreigners, the aged, the young etc…. how did all you ‘locals’ manage to produce the numbers and the expertise needed without outside help?
                The truth is that you didn’t, Cayman was built by the very people you despise and envy, and that’s what eats you up.
                You couldn’t do it then and you wouldn’t be able to do it now.
                That’s not delusional, misguided or ignorant, that just pure numbers, you know, the little buttons that you press to make your phone work.

                • Anonymous says:

                  7.33am covered it pretty well.

                  The population was about 10,000 in 1970. There were very very few expatriates. There was no massive immigration by outsiders until after then. When it happened it was spurred by the collapse of Jamaica, and later the Bahamas. The dramatic adverse changes in those came about in part because of disillusioned locals feeling marginalized, and charismatic leaders stirring fervor.

                  Cayman saw what was happening. To avoid any similar issues coming to the fore here, and to manage the influx of foreign nationals whilst seeking to preserve the traditional way of life, a series of carefully designed laws were passed. These included today’s Immigration Law.

                  The system worked well in the 1970’s and 1980’s with Caymanians and Expatriates working closely together for one another’s mutual benefit, and the benefit of these islands.

                  By 1979 the population was about 16,000 and by 1989, 25,000. This growth was fuelled by signoifivcant numbers of work permits but also returning seafarers with their families from the Gulf Coast of the US and descendents of Caymanians from the Bay Islands and Mosquito Coast as employment opportunities arose locally.

                  Hotels such as the Royal Palms, Galleon Beach, and Holiday Inn were built and thrived will almost exclusively Caymanian staff. Other smaller institutions also offered an excellent experience to divers, including Casa Bertmar, Sunset House, and the Tortuga Club.

                  Expatriates assimilated into Cayman, and treated locals with respect. That respect and welcome was returned.

                  The financial services industry also grew, as it was chased from the Bahamas, and supported by capital fleeing Jamaica.

                  The likes of Truman Bodden and Arthur Hunter worked closely with the likes of Bill Walker and Ian Boxall.

                  Persons such as Harry Chisholm and Leonard Ebanks were able to thrive in banking, and reach the highest levels. The likes of Naul Bodden, Ian Wight, and Dan Scott were also able to thrive in the accounting field. It was a marriage (between expatriates and Caymanians) made in paradise.

                  Then, as in some marriages, people started to cheat on one another. Sometimes it was a Caymanian and sometimes it was an Expat.

                  Greed started to take over by the late 1990’s.

                  The legislation seeking to ensure balance stopped being enforced, and then started being ignored by many.

                  The concept of majority Caymanian ownership in many businesses became an illusion as fronting took hold.

                  The balance was lost. By the time of the cabinet status grants the proper vetting of aspirant Caymanians disappeared. Persons became Caymanian in large numbers based significantly on who they knew, with little to no regard as to whether they could make a positive impact on these Islands or even sustain themselves. Relatives were imported in large numbers, including as employees, with no regard as to whether there was a better qualified Caymanian available for the work.

                  The Government education system fell behind many of the legitimate needs and expectations of the business community, but at the same time, expatriates with even lesser qualifications were being granted work permits over Caymanians.

                  The Caymanian people started to lose trust in the systems designed and intended to ensure balance.

                  The scales have now tipped against the hopes and aspirations of many. Expat labour can and should always be welcomed and embraced. Those that love Cayman and can satisfy reasonable requirements can and should be able to become Caymanian.

                  Caymanians must however be satisfied that they are not being unfairly marginalized in their own land. The Jamaican and Bahamian experience emphasizes that.

                  History may not repeat, but it sometimes rhymes.

                  If Sandman thinks this land we live in can sustain itself with every Caymanian aspirant for a job facing “sorry, there is a better qualified person from overseas” (and there almost always is for any position anywhere in the world) then ultimately, there will be collapse.

                  No nationality would be expected to tolerate that in their homeland.

                  Luckily, most people realize that a workable balance has to be struck. I for one am confident in the future,

                  • Anonymous says:

                    And that all sounds fine until the expats take their business and their labour and move out, (as they did in Jamaica, Bahamas, Bermuda etc…) Cayman may be able to talk up its role in its short lived expansion and growth, but it cannot sustain it with wistful musings of greatness. Without external investment, expertise and labour there is nothing.
                    Bare that in mind when Ezzard talks of revolution, because the sure fire way to discourage investment and growth is talk of an unstable political and social landscape.
                    Of course, we could prove the point by withdrawing all expat labour for one day and see how you cope. Revolution in this case is a two way street, if 20,000 people decide to stay at home for one day, and repeat the same for one day every week, how long do you think Cayman’s economy will last?
                    Sure, you could threaten to withdraw work permits, but exactly how are you going to replace so many workers with a working population of less than 10,000.
                    Musing about a half dozen political ‘heroes’ and bygone days of a few seafaring folk just doesn’t cut it. It was the businesses who came in from overseas and brought trade and expertise with them that built this economy, and they continue to do so. A land of turtle catchers and fishermen just weren’t equipped to handle a growing tourism or financial services sector. It maybe true that small local hotels and dive resorts had total Caymanian staff, but those people didn’t have the same entitlement mentality of today and were only too happy to have employment.
                    No, sorry, the history sounds good, but the facts speak for themselves.

            • Anonymous says:

              Caymanians have no right to employment in any country that they do not have a passport for, even if an employer wants to employ them and thinks they are best for the job.

              • Anonymous says:

                Ever heard of a green card or work visa? You really need to get off this rock and live in the real world. I have worked in 4 different countries for differing companies. I applied, interviewed and successfully attained the position because I was the best person for that particular job.
                It really isn’t that difficult to understand.

                • Anonymous says:

                  In no case were you ENTITLED to the green card or work visa. In every case it was considered with a concern as to whether or not its grant to you would deprive a qualified national of that country of a position.

                  • Anonymous says:

                    Who mentioned entitlement? That’s a Cayman disease and the go to default of far too many people on this island.

                  • Anonymous says:

                    And that is the Cayman problem, a lack of world experience and the failure to read and understand. At no point is entitlement referred to, that is your issue, not mine. I merely made the point that international employment is a standard of international business. If that isn’t the case then why are so many U.S. Citizens working in the UK and vice versa?
                    Why is the head of the Bank of England a Canadian, and why are the heads of strategy for the two main political parties in the current UK election campaign both non EU foreign nationals?
                    I’ll tell you why, they were considered the best person for the job, nationality wasn’t a bar.
                    As for the last sentence re: qualified nationals, that’s complete BS. Qualified does not make you the best person for a particular position, it takes many differing facets to compile the ideal candidate, including age, experience, training, personality, aptitude, references and a whole library of other attributes that can be called upon.
                    In the real world beyond these diminutive shores, real people compete for employment against a whole army of variables.
                    The world of employment is a meritocracy, not an entitlement, get used to it.

        • Anonymous says:

          Sandboy. We have 22,000 people here on work permits. We have in addition several thousand Caymanians who have recently become Caymanian and many may not have integrated. You count them in your 10,000 employable locals. Your numbers confirm that Caymanians are already outnumbered more than 2 to 1 in the workplace. Do you not see how local persons might be getting particularly nervous and be deserving of some reasonable preference in employment opportunities, as is exercised all over the world. I cannot work in another country just because someone there thinks I am best.

          • Sandboy says:

            I don’t count them in anything, your government census does that for you.

          • Anonymous says:

            You cannot have your cake and eat it. You want an expanding economy and the status of a global financial centre, you also want a thriving and robust tourism industry. But, you don’t have the numbers or the expertise that supports such aspirations.
            Whining that you are outnumbered is only the result of the success that has come with external investment and labour.
            Of course, the other option is to breed like rabbits, learn to accept increased immigration to establish a larger employable population, or close it all down and return to making thatch ropes.
            External business has given you a massive opportunity to become a stable and prosperous country amongst a region in chaos. Stop whining and enjoy the fruit you have been offered, before that offer goes elsewhere.

      • Anonymous says:

        It is with sadness that I have to say there are cultural norms here that make Caymanians not attractive as employees, lateness, sickness, lack of work ethic, inability to work consistently hard day in day out, lack of innovation and organizational skills and on and on. It is by no means all but this has been my experience and it gives me no pleasure to say it.

        • Time For Change says:

          Stereo-typing again this is exactly the reason Caymanians can’t get jobs I suppose where you come from no one is ever late or sick or any of the things you have just mentioned they are all model citizens ? give people a chance that is what the probation period is for 1 days notice that’s all you need to get rid if they do not uphold their end of the bargain. I know many that came here and due to drinking and partying they took just as many sick days and were just as late bu I guess if it’s your countryman then it’s OK?

          • Anonymous says:

            Oh dear, another ‘let’s bury our head in the sand’ apologist for the appalling standard of loyalty, commitment and customer service demonstrated by many Caymanian ‘workers’. It may be a stereo type, but it’s none the less true, as any visit to a civil service department, bank, CUC, Lime or any other ‘local’ only employer will soon confirm.
            There’s a very good reason why employers are looking outside of Cayman for employees and it isn’t based on a stereo type. It’s actually based on the bitter experience of employing lethargic, incompetent and arrogant ‘locals’ who think that everybody owes them a living for doing as little as possible.

      • Anonymous says:

        I am not paid to find a solution – Cayman politicians are – but seemingly prefer to pass on responsibility to educate Caymanians to the businesses they entice into setting up business and investing in Cayman. On the one hand they produce a tempting offering, and in the other they try to dictate to businesses how they should run their businesses/purport to make staffing decisions for them.

        At NO point did I discriminate and FYI my friends are locals, not foreigners. I am just saying that rightfully, our government should be doing more, and at least I can see that employers just make a convenient scapegoat for successive governments to point towards in a pathetic attempt to hide from their responsibilities and the even worse thing is, its clearly working when it turns Caymanians against expats and vice versa, creating sufficient distraction for the successive administrations to continue their incompetence rather than address the real issue – which is education.

  14. disheartened by rhetoric says:

    An empty head making empty threats.

    Wouldn’t Ezzards time be better spent coming up with answers to improving life in north side instead of just complaining, whining, and now threatening that everyone should just fix it in his favor?

  15. Anonymous says:

    Ezzard wants the country to go independent and of course he believes that he is the one to lead us all off the cliff.

  16. Anonymous says:

    Business Staffing Plans will be replaced one day by something else, that will better serve the companies, because politicians represent companies, not the people that voted for them.

  17. Anonymous says:

    Miller is a Master at making it look like he is doing something important while accomplishing nothing in the real world. Same as the rest of CIG.

  18. Anonymous says:

    To not pursue an education simply because your friends, who got an education, can’t find a job right now is a bad idea. I strongly suggest to any individual, get your Master’s or Doctorate if you can!!!! The world is big, and you must be willing to experience living and working somewhere else. The seamen who built this country spent a great deal of their working lives away from Cayman. But they eventually came back.

    Unemployment, migrant workers, and education are the realities/requirements the world over. Don’t ever give up.

  19. Anonymous says:

    Ezzard Miller – Cayman’s answer to Enoch Powell. Without the education.

    • Anonymous says:

      Enoch was right. Maggie said so…….

    • Anonymous says:

      Ezzard Miller, a prime advocate for nationalist socialism, or facisism as we historically recognise it. Nationalism is a foul and dispicable trait of those who blame others for their own failings and insecurities, and Ezzard is turning it into an art form.
      The sad part of this uneducated, egocentrics rantings is that Cayman and her people will end up suffering the consequences. Multi national businesses will relocate to friendlier juristictions and Caymans professional unemployment figures will go through the roof. Let’s see how all those highly educated Caymanians get on working behind a bar on SMB instead of in the offices of an international law, accountancy, banking or financial services practice.
      The hypocracy of this man is breath taking, he doesn’t seem to mind marrying non Caymanians or sending his son to work in London at Cayman’s tourist office, a job that perhaps should be done by a British national, not a ‘paper’ one. And he certainly doesn’t mind cosying up to expat businessmen at certain Northside bar/restaurants when it suits his personal agenda.
      But then that is the mark of a man who wants you to bend to his will but will not practice what he preaches, uses his public platform of influence to stir up racial, cultural and national bigotry, and, utilise the blind obedience of his followers to reinforce his poisonous diatribes.
      Ringing any historical alarm bells yet?

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