CIG offers three weeks of clean-up work

| 09/11/2016 | 52 Comments

(CNS) UPDATED: The government has announced plans to repeat the seasonal clean-up, offering work to the unemployed for just three weeks to Caymanians before Christmas. Officials said the project will cover repairs and maintenance, gardening and cleaning parks, beaches and roadsides. The programme will run from 28 November to 16 December and is open to Caymanians and permanent residents over 18 years old who are out of work.

The deputy governor’s office will oversee and coordinate the National Community Enhancement (NiCE) Project on behalf of Cabinet but the National Workforce Development Agency, the National Roads Authority, the Department of Environmental Health and the Public Works Department will be involved.

“Christmas is an important time of the year when Caymanians and other members of the community traditionally seek to beautify their homes and surroundings,” said Tara Rivers, Minister of Education, Employment and Gender Affairs. “This employment initiative provides an opportunity to enhance the physical environment and public spaces as well as providing work for those unemployed persons prior to Christmas, something which many families appreciate and benefit from.”

But government did not say how many people there will be work for though it expects similar numbers to last year and the budget for the project will depend officials told CNS on the amount of people who turn out. Last year more than 700 people turned up looking for work over a four-week project. The response last year was described at the time as “overwhelming”, and in order to give at least some work to everyone, many applicants only received one week’s work.

The hourly rate will be the same as last eyar at CI$10 but supervisors will receive $12. The 2015 project had an original budget of $475,000 funded through savings in other areas of government but the final cost was $444,359. At the time Osbourne Bodden, the community affairs minster, said there were plans for the project to happen twice per year.

However, in Wednesday’s announcement there was no indication that there would be a further clean-up in the New Year.

Anyone interested in taking part can collect an application form at the libraries in West Bay, George Town, Bodden Town, North Side, East End, Cayman Brac, MLA offices and the Government Administration Building in George Town.

Registration will be on Wednesday, 16 November, at the Lions Centre, from 9am to 3pm.

Officials said applicants must attend this registration session in person and will need to bring a completed application form and supporting documentation with them to prove immigration status on registration day. All applicants need to produce some form of photo ID at registration.

Caymanians will also need to produce one of the following: a voters’ ID card, birth certificate, passport, Caymanian status certificate or stamp in valid passport to show the same. Those who have permanent residency will also have to produce valid photo identification and a residency with employment rights certificate (RERC) or a stamp in a valid passport to show the same. Spouses of Caymanians will also need to bring along valid photo identification, a residency with employment rights certificate as the spouse of a Caymanian or a stamp in valid passport to the show same.

Officials also stated that a similar project will also be undertaken on the Sister Islands under the supervision of District Administration.

For more information contact the NiCE Hotline (917 – 0153), or email NCEP@gov.ky

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Comments (52)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    This should be something done year round by low risk inmates at northward.

  2. Annie says:

    Okay, a few weeks work will help in the short term, and that is nice, but it is not a real fix. People need real long term solutions.

    Number One: remove the pension and health care requirements for part time employees. Many businesses would hire more staff if the costs were not so prohibitively expensive.

    • Annie says:

      Also does government provide health care and pension for each and everyone of these seasonal/part time employees, and insure that all of their employees’ dependents are likewise insured? Or are they ‘exempt ‘ from there own regulations. If they do not insure and provide pension to the same extent that they require from the private sector they are hypocrites.

  3. Anonymous says:

    So after years of being ignored and disrespected by their leaders, the Caymanian people are being asked to pick up shit.

    I cannot see a single sitting politician being re-elected.

    Drain the Swamp
    Cayman 2017

  4. Anonymous says:

    Any government that has to do this type of program do not deserve to be re-elected because they have failed to inforce the laws that protect the CAYMANIAN worker

  5. Anonymous says:

    just give the $400,000 Caymanian family with children with household incomes of less than $65,000 for 1 child and $80,000.00 for two children and CI $100,000 for three.

    you can give it all cash or half cash and half health care vouchers or 1/3 cash, 1/3 healthcare vouchers and 1/3 educational vouchers

    Time to put families first again…

    You can have the clean up too in order so that these other people can get a little something to suppress crime but give good hard decent working families are break. For heaven’s sake, they are the ones that most fully support this regressive taxation economy year in year out..its time to give back

  6. Anonymous says:

    very embarrassing to be a caymanian…..

  7. Anonymous says:

    Some of this seasonal cash should go to Govt departments that operate under extra pressure this time of year. Its nice to see freshly painted curb stones… But I for one would welcome a few part time staff in the customs office so I don’t need to spend half a day in there.

    • Anonymous says:

      Customs dept needs an entire overhaul!

      Make the entire service an online process. Putting the paperwork through and payments. Hire staff that have the appropriate IT skills and then train the current staff. Give the community time to do other things with their life instead of wasting it standing in the line at customs.

      Have a ticket system where the individuals can track how long it will take for their paperwork to be processed. Plus an assigned individuals customs officers name. That will give the staff work that is trackable in terms of productivity.

      Going into customs in person should only be in cases that are urgent.

  8. Anonymous says:

    If things are as good as the government has been talking about, why do they now need to do this……

  9. Anonymous says:

    what about the underworked layabouts in pwd who should be doing this as part of their job?….do they get 3 weeks paid leave???

  10. Anonymous says:

    classic wonderland stuff……caymanians who litter and show no pride in their own communities and who refuse employment are then paid by taxpayers to clean up their own mess……

    those who choose to be unemployed should be forced to do this for free….

  11. Anonymous says:

    what immigration and the department of labour needs to do is visit the HOTELS all of them and do an audit of who is holding WP most of these positions don’t need WP’s . I know for a fact the hiring managers not the HR because they are just paper pushers working on instructions from the top not to hire Caymanian. Front office /F&B/HK/maintenance many of these post can be held by Caymanians or PR people. Even sales can be done by locals. There should not be any need for GOVT to do this kind of hand out trust me. A lot is going on behind closed doors in these companies a lot .just saying

  12. Chebnutt Bodden says:

    Free government food!

  13. ThIs WrItInG Is VeRy IrRiTaTiNg says:

    If there are 700 people who are willing to do manual labour for 3 weeks to get money for the holidays why are there so many work permits for people at this level the rest of the year? Unemployment would be zero if these people could hold a job and work for their money the other 49 weeks of the year instead of living off handouts from government, family and politicians.

    • Anonymous says:

      Because cleaning up for 3 weeks doesn’t require you to show up on time or even every day and you will still get paid by this annual vote buying scheme. You don’t need to pass an interview etc. This 3 week give away cannnot be compared to what it takes to commit to a real job.

  14. Anonymous says:

    welfare people should have to work

  15. Anonymous says:

    I really hope they can clean up by the water up by North Sound Golf Club. People litter the place with soda cans, water bottles, food and condoms – it’s gross. It’s amazing how many people still think littering is acceptable.

  16. Anonymous says:

    The band aid approach is typical of the regressives who have proven they do no have solutions after nearly four years

    • Anonymous says:

      You have to understand this is another example that there is little if any difference between the PPM and the UDP(CDP). Another example of a trick they both use to get votes.

  17. Sharkey says:

    I think this 3 weeks of work for Caymanians by Government is a real slap in the face and disgraceful. Can’t give them work or protections all year round but 3 weeks work before Christmas.

    I think this is the way that third world Countries Governments treats their Citizen that needs help. When Government probably have uneducated imported people employed .

    • Anonymous says:

      Why do you think Government should “give them work”? Governments responsibility is to provide an environment where citizens can obtain a job they are capable of doing. Becoming capable & holding the job is the responsibility of the citizen.

      • Anonymous says:

        the government is not providing people with the education in order to get a job…..generations of people in cayman were forgotten by the system and never learned the basic reading and writing skills to hold basic jobs….is the government providing assistance to give their people the basic education that they didn’t give them in the past? No, they are not, they are not even trying to fix the existing system, instead they are using their government salaries to send their kids to private schools.

        • Anonymous says:

          Okay, then send them to school for three weeks rather than making busy work and another entitlement programme.

  18. Anonymous says:

    So this doesn’t appear too popular?

  19. Anonymous says:

    Much of the work that these people have to do would not exist if Caymanians and Jamaicans did not throw beer and soda cans, KFC boxes, Burger King, Wendy bags etc etc out of their car windows onto the side of the road. I pick them out of my property all the time but it never stops. It’s part of the culture.

    • Anonymous says:

      Not a habit of Caymanians, but I take your point.

    • Anonymous says:

      It certainly is not part of the culture! Racist much?! It is a nasty practice of segments of every population on the planet… or do you not see garbage on the streets in other countries? By the way I have witnessed non-Caymanians and non-Jamaicans throwing garbage down on the beach countless times… and maybe this will surprise you but…. that includes white people?

      • Anonymous says:

        You do realise that not all Caymanians or Jamaicans are black right? You’re calling someone out for being racist but then perpetuating racism yourself!

      • Anonymous says:

        I read no mention of Race in the comment. Yes nationality was mentioned but not race. I believe you are the first to bring it up in this thread.

        • Anonymous says:

          I can see “Racist much?” but may be s/he meant Nationalist much?

          • Anonymous says:

            The original poster 6:38 did not mention race. The first mention was the Racist much comment. Commenting on a post that does not even imply racism.

    • Anonymous says:

      I have seen all kinds throwing litter, Caymanians, Jamaicans, tourists, expats and they all make me sick.

      • Anonymous says:

        Interesting comments! I spend a lot of time on the various beaches and roads throughout the year as part of my employment and I hardly ever see “tourists and expats” throwing down or leaving litter behind them. It’s a West Indian thing-I see it all the time- and I regret to say I am a West Indian and ashamed of these people.

  20. Anonymous says:

    I’m going to take photos of them sitting under my shade tree as they have for the last two years, not hitting a lick. But when I showed the photos in the past to an MLA, I was told “it’s Xmas”. Fair enough, but people like Ezzard and Arden use the big numbers of people showing up to “prove” that there are all these Caymanians “out there” desperate for a job and willing to work full hours for it.

  21. Aunt Agonist says:

    Time to book my vacation and make some extra cash doing nothing again this year.

  22. Anonymous says:

    Good news for the drug dealers. A lot of their customers will have money to spend.

    • heartless says:

      Wow what heartless comments. I wonder if you were hungry if you would make such comments. I am disappointed however that despite all the “Progress” these cleanups are still necessary, its an indication of the poverty and joblessness that continues to plague our people and in 4 years of “Progress” not much has improved for the poor, only for the rich!

      • Anonymous says:

        People have to bring themselves up. Government can only do so much.

      • Anonymous says:

        Unfortunately, if you check it out, most of them will only work those three weeks and some won’t even work that. I know a woman that was complaining that she had a doctor appointment during the three weeks and they didn’t pay her for teh time she was at the hospital so she quit.

    • Anonymous says:

      Obviously, you don’t work at law-firms and expat-staffed bars.

  23. Anonymous says:

    Now that’s progressive more vote buyin

  24. Jotnar says:

    Includes beach work? Like removing beach rock, or shifting sand to the Kimpton.

  25. Anonymous says:

    Wote buying with public funds again!

  26. IRONY 101 says:

    More vote buying by the ppm even though they proclaimed the same program under the udp was bad and vote buying. Is it irony or politricks?

  27. Anonymous says:

    Wow a whole 3 weeks, while work permits soar!! Unreal.

  28. Anonymous says:

    How about including a free training course for workplace behavior, timekeeping, resume writing, etc., in advance. Those who do not complete this training course would not be eligible for the work programme.
    Let’s try to get them to a point where they can obtain and KEEP a job. Training courses should be mandatory to obtain ANY social benefit from the tax payer, unless the person is old/infirm.

  29. Anonymous says:

    Cant we have three weeks of training people how to take their trash home and dispose of it properly, rather than once a year “we will give Christmas money to people to do nothing except pick up a little of the litter you throw on the road side every year?”

  30. Shambles says:

    Work 3 weeks per year and survive on handouts the other 49… All made possible by our vote buying elected officials.

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