WORC bill gets full backing of MLAs
Premier Alden McLaughlin in the LA, 19 Nov 2018
(CNS): The Legislative Assembly has given its backing to overhaul the current immigration system with the introduction of a new labour agency dealing with the management of work permits as well as the development of local workers. In the LA on Monday, Premier Alden McLaughlin said the bill to create the Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman (WORC) unit was a “new approach to migration management” that put the interests of Caymanians first while allowing employers to attract the highest calibre of people needed for the jurisdiction to remain competitive.
The challenge of finding the proper balance between these goals had plagued governments for decades, McLaughlin said, and despite a multitude of changes to the immigration law, nothing succeeded, so it was time for fundamental reform.
The premier outlined the Immigration (Transition) Bill for the House, explaining that it would separate labour-related immigration matters from border control, with the two new parts being managed under their own legislative frameworks. The bill to create the new Customs and Border Control Agency is expected to be debated in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.
As he presented the bill that establishes WORC, the premier said that the legislation would be brought back to the LA early in the New Year with further amendments relating to the technology development of the agency, which, he explained, was not yet complete. But in order to begin the separation and transition to the new agency, government had to bring this first enabling law, he told the LA.
McLaughlin said that once created, WORC will have a duty to promote the employment of local people, help them find and keep jobs, career development and support employers in developing local staff. It will also be tasked with identifying industry needs and skill gaps, and advising government on policy based on the collection of data and information about the labour market.
The premier said that he hoped the new agency would pave the way for a closer relationship between employers and government. He said the work permit process would be more closely monitored but it would also be more streamlined and efficient.
Employers would in future be able to make their permit applications online and submitting documents would be simplified, and all vacancies will go through the national clearing house portal at WORC, the premier explained.
He revealed that employers can continue to advertise their vacancies wherever they like but the mandatory requirement will be to post all jobs on the new government portal; employers will no longer have to run print advertisements in the local newspaper when seeking a permit. The premier said this directive would be in the amending bill, as the creation of the national job clearing portal would be part of the information technology platform that was still being developed.
McLaughlin said that while his government was trying really hard to set the country on a sound economic foundation, he accepted that there was still discrimination and prejudice towards Caymanians in the workplace. But he anticipated that the new agency would offer more visibility regarding labour supply and industry decision-making over jobs. He said the ultimate goal was for WORC to help government achieve full employment for Caymanians.
The premier said he still planned to bring legislation for a fair employment commission but other things had taken priority and it would be next year before a bill for that would come to the Legislative Assembly.
“This government is sincere in doing everything it can to provide opportunities for young Caymanians,” the premier said, adding that people were already doing better and were more upbeat about their fortunes and circumstances.
While the opposition largely supported the legislation, Opposition Leader Ezzard Miller made a number of suggestions and questioned the wisdom of including issues relating to permanent residency and Caymanian status grants in with the labour function. He said this “would cause confusion” and noted that the government should also be updating the labour laws alongside the creation of WORC.
Miller pointed to the need to flag up expiring permits to give locals the chance to prepare for potential vacancies and also called for board members to be interviewed and selected based on their skills and experience, not political affiliation.
The bill sailed through the main debate with full cross bench support from members present at the time of the vote. The companion legislation, the Customs and Border Control Bill, which will spell the end of the existing immigration department, will be debated Wednesday, according to the current LA meeting’s schedule.
parenting is the issue. hood-rat culture is rampant and is unrelenting.
make parents accountable for their kids behaviour. problem solved.
Fix the educational system and CIG would not be thowing money at these stupid programs to force the uneducated into working in positions that can’t fill.
Put ALL the money into education and your problems will be solved. But this is over CIGS heads too
You do realize that Caymanians with world class international educations have been and continue to get screwed by unscrupulous employers. Right?
That’s because we refuse to soften our Caymanianness the SAME WAY anyone else has to tamp down their features and adopt a standard professional international business mindset and appearance. Going to a quality university does not advantage you if you manage to come out the other end acting like the same bush child that went in.
8.20pm – Shame you didn’t get one, the plural of education is “education”.
Florida educational institutions do not qualify as world class educational institutions. Most Caymanian do not understand that fact.
Once again they chose to ignore the elephant in the room. EDUCATION!!!
If our youth are not being educated to an international standard – the standards at which they are competing against in their own country – they will not get hired.
Alden said himself in the LA, that Caymanians need to change the mindset that they are entitled to a job just because they are Caymanians. He claimed that he hears the cries of our people because he is a 7th generation Caymanian. Well Alden – if you are not willing to stand up and make companies hire unqualified Caymanians and train them (which yes they have a right to do), then it is YOUR (Government’s) responsibility to ensure the citizens are educated to the standard that puts them on par with the people seeking WPs. That way those expats won’t stand a chance against the our citizens. THAT’s the way to achieve 100% employment in this country. WHAT ABOUT THAT?
No it’s easier to blow smoke in mirrors with exercises like this than get down to the issue of poorly structured educational system that is the root of the employment problem in this country!
Why in the helloo sjhould employers be allowed to decide who works for them!?? Afterall, the government pays those employers!! Oh wait…
Is that the way it is in your country…no regulations over immigration or work?
the Compass will have little to no more revenue from Permit Adverts….watch them go digital only inside a year!
Agree – no more gravy train for them… “employers will no longer have to run print advertisements in the local newspaper when seeking a permit”
Revenge is a dish best served cold. LOL
This entire episode is all a joke. We all know these employers are just going to advertise for umpteen qualifications and skills for simple jobs. A goverment cannot tell an employer who to hire, that only happens in North Korea.
8.47pm Maybe we should refer to Alden as Kim, then.I understand one of our schools offers language lesson is Chinese, I suppose WORC will holfd up future permits until a Caymanian becomes fluent in Mandarin
Of course they can and most do if you want the work done from their country…at least to the extent you want a work visa.
We need to raise the minimum wage. Yes, that will drive up some costs, but we cannot continue to provide jobs that don’t create a living wage. In this way, also, more Caymanians will be hired.
Exactly, the government should decide what people gets paid according to a living standard the goverment decides is the correct amount. Why put this in the hands of economics and free markets???
Lets hope the new department will also ensure government plays by the rules it imposes on the private sector. Some of the hiring decisions made by Government in recent years go completely against the idea of fair treatment of Caymanians especially when it comes to senior positions, There are Caymanians here with equal or better qualifications than overseas candidates yet they are consistently overlooked. I thought if a Caymanian had equal or better qualifications and experience than a npne-Caymanian then they should automatically get the job. I know of instances where qualified Caymanians have been overlooked in favor of none-Caymanians who did not meet the minimum requirements of the job description.
But they show up for work…
On time
Typical expat comment. All Caymanians are lazy and uneducated. You and your work ethic are so much better. There are no lazy unemployed people in your country because they are all just like you, superior in every way. I wonder what you are actually doing in the Cayman islands; maybe you are a bit of an under-performer in your own country and had to come somewhere that makes you look good? I hate to inform you but here in the Cayman islands there are hard working people much smarter than you and capable of doing your job. You are probably here because the person who employed you shares your dislike of Caymanians.
6.11pm Not all Caymanians, but a significant number.
Govt is like 80% Caymanian and most senior posts are held by Caymanians. Private sector needs to catch up
It may be true that 80 percent are Caymanian. That does not mean that 60 percent are not Jamaican.
Jamn Right!
8:21. Sorry but the civil service has it owns personnel law and like the private sector will not promote persons who can’t do the job. Get used to it …there are no automatic promotions. Come on you should know better.
What about those who can but don’t get the promotion because of the “Caymanians cant do the job” mentality?
Will not promote people who cannot do the job; what about current Chief Officer for Health?
That is only because a non-Caymanian will tow the line.
1.19pm you must hold a senior post in the CS judging by your use of the phrase “tow” (toe) the line.
So what is going happen to businesses like mine who rely upon Filipino’s with college degrees to fill administrative positions that pay US$1,200 per month?
Who is going to replace all the Filipino cashiers/sales clerks that work for minimum wage at our local restaurants and shoppes?
Nothing has changed. Smoke and mirrors.
You would still get the permits for your slaves dont worry.
Sad but true statement 8:10AM – successive governments have in the past and still continue to look out for expats more than our own people. I have not seen it yet in the Friday newspaper obituaries, but there should be one in bright bold letters that says “R.I.P. Caymanian Job Seekers”.
Government selling out to expats, CNB selling out to expats – next thing you going to hear is that the remaining Royal Cayman families have sold out the last of their land and businesses to expats (oops that last one is already well underway – unna public know what I am talking about).
Picture of McLaughlin in this article is gold… the meme possibilities are endless.. Haha
Certainly hope “vacancies” includes renewals….since Aldart’s first term as leader renewals have been a charade and the permit hold has effectively secured the position indefinitely from issuance of the first permit…many of those people will soon but up for PR…thanks Aldart.
Unfortunately the way our law is written, jobs that come up for work permit renewal has to go back to the expat unless their employer put them on a term contact that equals the length of the WP. Otherwise the employer could be subject to unfair dismissal (of the expat) charges. See our laws are not set up for Caymanian employment as much as we think. It needs to be re-written to address the issue that if a qualified Caymanian if applies for a WP position the company is exempt from unfair dismissal charges of the expat.
This is not conjecture – it has happened.
Only country in the world where they advertise fake jobs to protect expats.
3.34amOnly country in the world where the Government does all the hiring in the private sector.
So much work just to get the private sector to do the right thing.
Build a trade / vocational school and suck up the unemployed Caymanian youth into full employment.
Then they will have to take out work permits to run these trade schools.
So true, the irony of it all…
west bay king, Yes, but you have to start somewhere if one is serious about getting Caymanian youth employed.
Why build anything. Private sector should take PWD lead and train Caymanians.
It is the role of the Cayman Islands Government to educate teenagers not the private sector.
We have to wish them well. But when Sharon Roulstone, like decent well meaning others before her like Winston Connelly, actually come in contact with…as presumably they must…the “brilliant, qualified, experienced Caymanians” that politicians like Ezzard and co have beaten their gums about for years, she will understand to her horror that most of them would not even be short listed for even clerical posts in the law firm she used to head up. So what does she do? It will, like previous efforts, not work. But what it might do at long last is show how utterly wrong the likes of Ezzard are.
Mind you, in a country where we can have Orret Connor..a former Cabinet Secretary… say on his radio show that the only reason Steve McField is not a major player in the big law firms is his color and the fact that he was ‘born on the wrong side of the tracks” (Connors quote), it shows how bitterly divided we are with these chips on the shoulder borne by people who have themselves done extremely well in professional life in Cayman.
Your obvious bias/prejudice contibutes to the great divide. Change is the responsibility of all of us, not just for Sharon Roulstone or Winston Connolly. If you’re not a part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. At least they’re trying. What contributions have you made? I mean, apart from the negative ones.
You’re a Trump supporter and Brexiteer, aren’t you?
Tell Tucker we said “hi”.
For once I agree with Ezzard Miller. If there is a board it should be full of people with the right knowledge and kills, not random members of the public with an axe to grind.
We don’t want yes-men either, everyone has an agenda, like it or not!
What about enforcement??? What is being done or will be done to ensure that there is proper and robust enforcement.
Seems to be all about efficiency for employers to get permits….I’ve said it for years Aldart is the most dangerous leader you have ever had….he should be ashamed to go in public.
Bye bye Immigration Department, its been nice knowing doing business with ya
Not so fast the are swapping one bureaucratic process for two others, likely using the same “trained” staff to man each – not to mention there is going to be a huge learning curve as everyone adjusts to the new system. The frustrations are only just beginning. BUT I hope it works though I fear it is only political geography that will be changed with the next administration if this does not work in the first few years. :o(
Trained????