Minister urges public to wade in on labour debate
Labour Minister Tara Rivers and Director of Labour and Pensions Mario Ebanks at Labour Law meeting in West Bay
(CNS): The two month long public consultation period on the draft bill for a new labour law will provide the ministry with an opportunity to refine the proposed legislation before it is presented to parliament, the minister said at the first public meeting Tuesday. Tara Rivers urged people to write in and submit comments and suggestions during the two month window of opportunity, as she said the contributions could be included in the final draft that will go to Cabinet for approval and she wanted the legislation to have broad support.
Starting the roadshow on the bill in her own constituency of West Bay, less than 50 people attended the first meeting and from those that made comments and suggestions, the question of enforcement emerged as a key concern.
West Bayers pointed out the problems the labour department has keeping employers compliant at present and the constant message from that office that it cannot help with the public’s complaints as it doesn’t have the staff.
The minister acknowledged that the department still doesn’t have the level that everyone would like to see but noted that, since taking office, the current government had funded a significant increase in staff and more were still being recruited. She said the department had nine more staff than when she came to office but pointed out that the elected arm of government can provide the funding to increase a department’s headcount but it cannot direct how those resources are managed on a day to day basis as that is the responsibility of the administrative arm of the government and civil service management.
The outgoing director of the labour department, Mario Ebanks, said that the new legislation was designed to foster a culture of greater compliance with increased penalties and the introduction of administrative fines eliminating the complex and lengthy court process and speeding up sanctions against rogue bosses.
Many of the issues raised at the meeting, however, were matters that fall outside the remit of the labour ministry but within the realm of the immigration department.
Rivers pointed out that the difficulties and limitations for the labour ministry and the need for much greater cross ministry cooperation because many employment issues are dealt with by other departments. Rivers said it was not possible to effect “wholesale changes to the workplace problems” people raised through the labour law alone.
The draft legislation is available on the ministry website along with the summary of the law and directions on how to submit comments and suggestions.
The next public meeting will be in Cayman Brac on Saturday 18 July at the Layman Scott High School hall with the meeting on the Labour Relations Bill, starting at 1:00pm until 2:30pm. Officials will also be discussing the National Pensions (Amendment) Bill at 2:30pm until 4:00pm.
Officials will be back in Grand Cayman with the labour law on Monday 20 July, when they will be hosting a meeting in Bodden Town at the Savannah Primary School Hall.
A public meeting here, a consultation process there, and now the public are asked for their ideas in writing, (as if they know any better). Why don’t you people earn your excessive pay cheques and actually govern instead of running the country like a second rate church hall committee. Have the courage to work to your democratic mandate and get on with it.
Wading in on the labour bill and wondering when the law (legal practitioners law) will be addressed? Many qualified Caymanians still not being hired by the law firms. Many still can’t get Articles? I would suspect this is a labour issue too right!
Those who are up to the job have no problem find a training contract. A law degree is not enough. Law degrees are two-a-penny.
Anonymous @ 10:49am. That’s a UK term. You clearly have no clue as to the problems on Island or you are part of the problem. Your statement lacks any substance. No one goes through years of Law School to be ‘NOT UP TO THE JOB”. Why don’t you enroll and provide an update 4-5 years from now on your employment status/gaining Articles etc…
Better yet provide a feedback if you progress from year 1
I have every clue, and I doubt there is anywhere in the world where it is easier to qualify to obtain articles. I prefer the term “training contract” because “articles” is quite DIckensian. Plenty of people who go through law school, an academic degree, fall far short of having the skill sets to make it as an attorney. Many barely pass their degree and for those there are many good career options outside private practice to which they would be better suited. Just because your mother said you can be what you want to be does not make it true. I won’t address your rather puerile ad hominem comments at the end.
Well hello there the word “Articles” is what is used here in Cayman. The word “Articles” is written in the law!
Right! A Desmond or a Douglas from Truman Bodden and you are “up to the job”.
If I may chime in. Are you saying a law degree from Truman Bodden is just blah?
You made a point to call out the school. I’ll have you know many great lawyers have been educates there.
A 2:2 or a third from anywhere is blah. But one from a law school affiliated with a law school ranked 35th in the UK does seem to have a definite blah-ishness about it.
I’ll wade in. What’s happening to the legal practitioners bill? What’s happening to all the law students that can’t get Articles?
Then they are not good enough. A rather ordinary law degree does not a future lawyer make. No Caymanian who has the necessary skills fails to secure articles.
Anonymous @ 8:08am – I think you are living under a rock. There is a waiting list where some have been waiting for over a year to get in. While on the other side others with connections slip right in. Research your facts!
Better yet, sign up to the program and provide an update on your success. Even better yet, update and state if you made it past year 1.
But then again, I’m sure you will reply and say you have a law degree. That predictable!!
So you think someone with a 2:2 is up to it? I don’t.
I have a couple of law degrees. I know many people with a law degree to whom I would never give articles.
Anonymous at 8:08 am – spell check would serve you will.
Do please point out the error to which you impliedly refer.
What spelling error did 8.08 make? I can see yours though…:-)
I think the sentence structure was too formal for someone who was brought up on American TV and they were discombobulated (to use an Americanism).
Did you invest, have special skills and contribute to our society as an active participant in making it better? If not, what we have accomplished is making a position potentially available for someone who will, and at the same time ensured you will never be a burden on our economy.
Heard we had a huge crowd of three people attend the Cayman Brac meetings today. And all senior citizens. Wow this is what happens when you close the Labour office in the Brac for over a year.
LOL from what I have been told, the Brac beat North Side by 1 attendee. Encouraging numbers aren’t they? The message has been consistent on here and that is, a new Law will mean ZILCH unless the way things are done are changed. This is THE ONLY Government office where one must fill out a form and wait 24 hours to get a call from an officer, and the call is NEVER returned in 24 hours. Try 60-72 hours and you might be lucky. This office is run piss poor and whoever is the manager is as useless as 2 teats on a bull. Tara, a new law is not needed, what is needed is performance and accountability from the pathetic employees in DLP.
You are so right. All the laws will not help if as a labour officer you are not allowed to do your job. A prime example is the Cayman Brac situation. Do your job properly, step on the wrong toes and then get put on required leave.
Getting a response from anyone in the Grand Cayman office is a challenge. They are useless. And they pick and choose who they will help dependent on who the employer is.
Or maybe they need to seek counsel from CINICO first. Just look hard and the writing is on the wall where the association comes in.
Oooohhhh 10:29pm you are so right. Guess there are a number of us that really know what is going on.
Hey I am not saying that the department is fully staffed nor that more resources is not needed but for God’s sake the labour board has never been overly staffed but there was always results. Unless they get their sh@t straight now, adding more staff will only compound the issue. The officers are slower than a sloth when it comes to progressing a case. Now with Mario gone the situation should only get WORSE. The public implores the powers that be to hire someone who has business acumen and run the office as a business so that the end results are of benefit to all.
See that is the problem, this is a law enforcement/regulatory agency that can’t be run like a business. Its a skill set you can’t get in a business, that’s why they haven’t been successfull. You need law enforcers not risk averse bean counters!
Whatever we chose to refer to it as, the bottom line is the public needs RESULTS and not officers who are hungover giving lame excuses. Have you ever tried calling that office and getting someone or leaving a message and having them return your call. Don’t expect it!!!!!
Bet ya they don’t miss the happy hour clock though.
Nah…they be Sea Inn or Da Station chatting about that weeks cases. And I ain’t asking no one, I am telling cause I been there and heard all the facts.
Or dey be at Carlos & Martin discussing stuff
I would wade in but I was rolled over. I left but my position was not filled by a Caymanian. No one has ever applied for my position in the nine years that I lived there. Now I contribute to the GDP of Canada instead of the Cayman Islands. The home I rented is currently standing empty a year later. What was accomplished by this?
I agree with 4pm. I have advertised for caymanian employees, the best is the description of the job is black and white, pretty straight forward, nothing unusual. What happens, they come in with maybe sporadic employment two months here, one month here, maybe six months. When asked what happened, its usually the same answer, everyone is laid off, they left for more money, or they didn’t get along with their supervisor. Then the majority doesn’t even have the experience requested. So no other choice, work permit here we go…Tara is trying to ram “hire caymanians” down our throats…why doesn’t GOVERNMENT hire more caymanians, the CI Government is one of the highest held department holding work permit holders…can someone explain this. Why doesn’t the ministry practice what they preach!!!
What was accomplished is simply that a foreigner did not get to stay here and vote.
That my friend is what it is all about.