Port board embroiled in new HR turmoil
(CNS): The long-running problems impacting human resources at the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands (PACI) appear to be lingering, as CNS has learned that an internal audit is now underway into various appointments made directly by PACI’s board in relation to numerous vacancies. Meanwhile, on Friday afternoon the board announced the appointment of Brac port veteran Dale Christian as acting director, despite having unofficially offered the job just a week or so earlier to Deputy Chief Fire Officer Brevon Elliot.
The port has been embroiled in human resource and management problems for more than four years after Clement Reid was fired in 2018. Joesph Woods, the long-time deputy who often acted as director, returned to his old job last year but resigned earlier this year after conflicts with the old board continued through to this new line-up.
The board has been described by some sources as acting outside of their remit because the directors have been trying to fill posts outside of the proper process. The board’s sole job when it comes to recruitment is to appoint the director.
CNS contacted Board Chair Cline Glidden, Chief Officer in the Ministry of Tourism Stran Bodden, Chief Officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs Michael Ebanks and the relevant ministers about the offer made to Deputy CFO Elliot, who had been overlooked for the CFO post, and the circumstances of the appointment.
The only person who responded to our inquiries was Home Affairs Minister Bernie Bush, who told CNS that he was grateful we had asked him as he was concerned that unfounded allegations had been made about his role in relation to this issue.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to set the record straight,” he told CNS on Friday. “I was completely unaware that Mr Elliot had been offered a position at the port until it I saw the post on social media, which now appears to have been reneged in any event. I do not know under what circumstances it had been made. I can confirm that I made no calls in relation to this issue,” he said.
The minister said he believed that over the last few months the port workers had been treated more fairly and some of the long-running issues that had impacted staff there for many years had been addressed.
Over the last six months, while Elizabeth McField was acting as the interim director, the unrest among port workers seemed to have settled, and some of the complaints about the hours and working conditions do appear to have been addressed. But over the last few weeks, other staffing issues have re-emerged and a significant number of people have resigned.
With McField now being replaced by Christian, who has worked at the Port Authority for almost three decades, ten of those managing the Cayman Brac Port, the staffing and management problems will now pass to him. Christian, a former sea captain and police officer in the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, said he appreciated the board’s decision to offer him the temporary position.
“I look forward to continuing to serve the people of the Cayman Islands in this capacity,” he stated in a press release.
The board chair welcomed Christian to the role, saying that he brought a wealth of experience. However, he made no mention of the offer made to Elliot, the change of heart or the internal probe into other appointments at the authority. There was no indication about how long Christian will serve or how the recruitment for the substantive post, which began last October, is progressing.
The board thanked McField for her stewardship during her tenure as acting port director.
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Category: Government Administration, Jobs, Local News, Politics
This failed experiment of the Public Authority Act (PAC) is the main cause of these issues. It doesn’t allow for succession planning so you will never have any experienced people in house. The salaries are not attractive for any young qualified professional to want to apply. Why would you want to go work for the Port or any other SAGC as a MD or CEO and be caped at CI$150,000 a year, when you can make over $200,000 in the private sector and get better benefits.
This whole PAC is a joke, just to allow the DG and CO’s to control SAGC’s and make sure that their salaries are more than that of the SAGC’s top people.
If they want to find the right qualified person as the Port Director they need to advertise the job at the right salary, not this dictated salary set by the DG and CIG.
When the PAC was being discussed some years ago, there were howls of protest from the senior people in the SAGCs who feared they could no longer get away with the outrageous salaries and benefits they had grown accustomed to. Many of them were ex civil servants who had seen their salaries skyrocket as soon as their former department of government became a SAGC. What’s that old saying about when you throw a stone in a pig pen, the one who squeals etc etc? These same people had their benefits grandfathered in when the PAC was eventually implemented so complaints died down considerably but the post at 6:30 reflects that sort of thinking. It is HIGHLY debatable that these CEO positions justify the sort of salaries and benefits that people like the poster seem to support. These are not multinationals, after all!
The Port Authority should not be managed by an inexperienced government minister. The issues are too deep rooted and require experienced and focused leadership.
Congratulations to Dale. Why would Bernie try to slip someone through the back door with no experience and qualifications? I mean this is not a joke, this someone has no experience and qualifications, barely made it through primary school.
The Port board needs to be replaced immediately and if the Minister with responsibility for the Port is incapable of managing that responsibility it needs to be given to someone that is able to provide the required oversight and leadership.
The new board is packed with UDP hangers on , who have political ambitions.
They , and the minister in charge, will all do whatever it takes to get elected.
This means pay raises, all the additional staff , no oversight on the sick leave games, and no supervision of shift workers sleep and work schedule.
Joey made the mistake of trying to run the port like a business, instead of the show up when you can and work if you feel like it culture being accepted.
Bernie Bush should have to make a public announcement (live) instead of sending these comments on paper. I hope that WBN is paying attention and not be fooled with this foolishness of “not for sale …not for rent”
The board minutes show that APD Beth McField is the most sensible person in the room, asking all the tough questions at their meetings – the questions that nobody has been asking for years. Put her in charge.
https://www.caymanport.com/wp-content/uploads/489_Board_Meeting_Minutes_signed_21_01_22.pdf
In the real world the board asked the questions and then thr director answers them. (Guess that’s if the director knows the answers) lol
How about seconding Peter Gough? Isn’t there two of him in the public service by now?
Lols
04 @ 5:19 pm – A good man, perhaps, but is he capable? Some people often reach their zenith in a post in which they excel. Further promotion sometimes goes beyond their capabilities and they founder and fail.
Cayman’s public service is filled with MANY such cases. For example, our DG passed his capability limit when he was an Immigration Officer.
Paul Hurston is the best, qualified ,educated ,and experienced Caymanian for the job . He should be brought on to assist Dale if even short term. We didn’t have these problems all the years he was director of the Port.
I would have though that the government was looking for someone with experience to manage the port. Also, that someone should be able to read and write…birds of a feather flock together.
Another day in PACTistan smh what a mess!
Caymanian style is what you get. There is no other choice here.
Who will take over Cayman Brac?
In all departments there are head of departments and their seconds so obviously the second will take over. Stop throwing comments
Dale is a good man, but he is soon to retire Im guessing. Wish him best of luck during his tenure.
Chewing gum to fix a hole in the boat, come on get this fixed Kenny and CG.
Stop bashing for no reason
04 @ 5:19 pm – A good man, perhaps, but is he capable? Some people often reach their zenith in a post in which they excel. Further promotion sometimes goes beyond their capabilities and they founder and fail.
Cayman’s public service is filled with MANY such cases. For example, our DG passed his capability limit when he was an Immigration Officer.
Can anyone help me understand why it takes 3 weeks and counting for HM Customs to clear duty exempt items sent via International Express courier? Is this the special treatment that happens after they ask for a recipient’s birth certificate?
More likely than not, your problem is the International Express courier and not Customs. I avoid those couriers, ship directly by freight carriers (sea or air) and deal directly with Customs and it’s a breeze.
Oh. you ordered Express!!
Our bad
Still haven’t built our much needed cruise berthing facility yet either.
Any government that tries that again is toast. The people who fought last time – in their thousands – will fight any and every time. Any government that puts a CBF in its manifesto will lose. People are not going to become more receptive to the idea over time. No CBF. Don’t even bother thinking it ‘still hasn’t been built’. It will NEVER be built, not in Hog Sty Bay. I would get used to that reality.
We have not had a referendum to confirm this. CPR blocked it.
Thank you Shirley Roulstone and CPR they saved Cayman from an expensive mess
It is not, of course, part of the civil service but I guess you couldn’t miss the chance to bash Manderson and the service. Caymankind ( to use another overused tedious expression).
Big big mistake
Different department, same mess.
What a mess
The CI Port continues to be one of the stinkiest government agencies. Is anyone surprised?
UDP board appointed by UDP government in minimal disguise – da wha ya get
Once Stran Bodden is involved in anything, it’s TOXIC and dysfunctional!!
He’s been promoted way above his capabilities!!
Kenneth needs him for guidance, though.
The blind leading the dumb!
12:42 pm, you are right Stran doesn’t have any common sense, isn’t he the one that said the Airport Runaway couldn’t be extended to the west because the birds wouldn’t have anywhere to go and the Runaway would flood if the the swamp was filled in.?
The Minister with responsibility for the PACI seems unwilling or unable to make the board level changes that are needed at the PACI. This is unfortunate and nothing will be achieved until and unless he is will to exercise actual leadership.
another glorious day for the world class cig civil service….zzzzzzzz
time for more awards franz!
Mr. Elliott clearly does not have influential friends. I wonder whom he has upset? Inquiring minds want to know.
Where is Hon Bernie, is he not going to defend his decision on appointing Brevon? Did you really believe this could happen ? Who advised you Kathryn?
@3:47pm.Bernie cannot appoint anyone to the Port..Did you read the article? It is not his ministry..
See below from CNS above..
The only person who responded to our inquiries was Home Affairs Minister Bernie Bush, who told CNS that he was grateful we had asked him as he was concerned that unfounded allegations had been made about his role in relation to this issue.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to set the record straight,” he told CNS on Friday. “I was completely unaware that Mr Elliot had been offered a position at the port until it I saw the post on social media, which now appears to have been reneged in any event. I do not know under what circumstances it had been made. I can confirm that I made no calls in relation to this issue,” he said.
I have a bridge to Cayman Brac I’d like to sell you.
Hold on. Beth is still due an award for fixing WORC, isn’t she? Hell, now that she has fixed WORC and the PORT can we put her in charge of curing cancer?
fixed Worc to be worst than it has ever been? now thats dilussional!
Beth is a nice person but not capable of any of the short secondments she has had over the years at Prison, Fire, Immigration and now Port. She could be their HR Manager yes but not Director.
Franzies all around!
tail been wagging the dog for a long time.
CNS I suggest you ask Joey Wood why he resigned.
He certainly did not do so due to “conflicts with the old board”, as reported by you.
That is what his resignation letter said – 2 board members remained from the old board and he was refusing to continue to work with them.
Which two? That is the question that should be answered.
Exactly , the NEW board who were more UDP to add to the two who remained as political watchdogs .
11:24. The Port is an Authority and not part of the Civil civil service. Why can’t you get this right.
If the Port was part of the Civil Service perhaps it would be world class.
Port Authority is part of government. Government, which is the big umbrella under which Civil Service, Port Authority, Fire Services, District Admin., DEH, DOE, FED, Lands & Survey, Public Works, Legal Affairs, Monetary Authority, HSA, CBC, RCIPS and even Civil Aviation reside, along with dozens of others.
Is it clear?
7:26, you are the one that needs clarity. The civil service and statutory authorities etc do indeed fall under the government umbrella but they operate under completely different laws and different governance arrangements and, I might add, very different salary and benefits systems ( check the $250,000 a certain Authority head gets annually, only one of many on big salaries and company cars etc).
Is it clear?
thank you for stating the obvious. The poster was correct. Your personal problem with PA is glaringly apparent.
No, it’s not clear. You’re massively oversimplifying it to the point you’re misleading readers. The Port Authority was established by legislation to be the basically autonomous body that runs our ports. The same goes for CIMA – its job is to watch our economy to the extent it can, manage our currency, etc. Airport, same thing, charged with providing the Cayman Islands with good airports that meet stakeholder needs. These entities are NOT part of ‘government’. They are part of the public service, not the civil service. The differences are many and important.
2:59 pm, all the Authoritys are part of Government, why you think Policiations builds The Airport/Terminal, Hospital and the dock and want to build the cruise dock, with tax payers money and every year puts tax payers money in to some of them,.like CAL, Turtke Farm and others.
04 @ @:59 pm – You MUST be Franz, or one of his minions.
He also has that impression that SAGCs are not a part of the public service (civil service) hence the big XXXX with SAGC retiree health insurance (non-existent for many years), because of Franz’ unilateral submissions to Cabinet. This was finally corrected in 2014 after dozens of retirees had to pay their own health care costs in full. It’s presently 80/20 for most SAGCs.
Betcha SAGCs are part of the public service when Central Government wants to raid their coffers!!
Another In-Glorious Day for the Useless PACT Government. Rudderless. Leaderless. And the investigations are coming fast with their one year anniversary just around the corner. We have Port-director-gate. NRA-fill-gate, the Chris LFT-gate, DOE (Wayne) vs CPA (Jay) planning-gate, and more to come. Of course there is the ongoing Chris wanting to fling Wayne out the Admin Building gate just to be premier. In the wings there is the next Mac-gate that only needs Mac to have a drink and touch some poor woman. God help us.
OR SIR ALDEN will do a Putinesque trick on us, by moving Roy to one side, then he can again be Premier and bring back Mos from whereever he is hiding.
Govvy boy would be happy.
No sa, me naaw want PPM again.
No s me naaw want Chris or Mac’s boy Kenneth.
Sadra What a hot mess dem in, unna hff fi wuk hard.