WORC arrests three people for permit breaches
(CNS): During a recent enforcement operation by the Enforcement and Compliance Unit at Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman, three people were arrested for working outside the terms and conditions of their work permits. The workers were caught after the ECU and the police raided a number of bars in George Town and an air-conditioning firm.
WORC said in a release that the inspections “were deemed necessary due to information received and the proactive action of WORC officers”.
Following operations last year that netted several workers and employers breaching immigration laws, officials said some people are still not complying with the law, despite the repeated warnings and consequences.
“Although we previously reported on the 2022 operations which resulted in arrests, persons and employers continue to carelessly breach the Immigration Transition Act,” said Acting Deputy Director Mervin Manderson. “Employers are reminded to ensure their staff are working with valid permits and in the correct occupations. Employers can complete an amendment application to capture separate work duties instead of allowing them to work outside of their permit terms.”
WORC officials have said they will continue to investigate information received from the public and will execute operations when necessary to bring offenders to justice.
Information about immigration infractions can be reported anonymously to WORC by completing the online form here or emailing worccomplaints@gov.ky.
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Category: Crime, Immigration
Why are the white collar workers never caught for working outside of their permit?
Anyone care to check if their employers paid the statutory entitlements? Deductions for pension ever actually paid to pension? Or consider prosecuting the employer?
And this may be too much to hope for….did the employer pay the work permit fee or was it deducted from salary?
The anonymous form on the website – love it.
Don’t report anonymously. Those falsely accused and who have to pay legal to defend the allegation have a right to know who made the report.
Sound to me like you want to enable the F$#€ry
Anyone who knows report them and you will stay anonymous. They will only get prosecuted or charged a fine is they ARE In the wrong!
Not true. They will only be prosecuted and fined if it is convenient and they have no family members in government.
I can assure you that you have no right to know who reported a breach of the law pertaining to you.
Please learn what your “rights” actually encompass before making such ignorant statements.
Guess they arrested the workers, not the employers, right?
Surely you didnt expect this to happen?
Permits within the construction industry should be done based on earnings bracket. Many workers are experienced in more than one trade, being a mason and painter or carpenter and drywall installer. You should be able to utilize somebody’s skills on a jobsite without requesting permission from government. It’s all just a money grab for work permit fees.
Permit holding employers should be made to guarantee minimum steady work hours and pay to their employees or face consequences. Far too many under-utilised unskilled permit workers are here checking their burner pay-as-you-go phones every morning to see if they can get work that day and where. Then they dial a tailgate to jump into and arrive to work site at 9:30 or 10. That’s no way to live.
Wow must of mistreated a well connected customer or their competitor has exercised his political favor against his business rival ! Working outside condition of their work permit is standard procedure for getting one !
These arrests are political!
Five dislikes. Some people have no sense of humor!
Aren’t they all?
Only if you’re Caymanian.
These “businessman” bring in these women who are less fortunate to sexually harass them and when they do not get their way with them or should I say STOP GETTING their way with them, they then hold their permit/ job against them.
What these women need to know is that it’s ok to speak up and don’t be in fear of these so called “businessman”.
What they are doing is wrong, report their actions. Send these “businessman” where they belong and find yourself a healthy working environment!
Hey now, it’s just the culture.
#CaymanKind
Yeh because no one would hire them for any other reason eh?
you obviously don’t understand intimidation on someone’s livelihood….
And you obviously are very judgmental, generalising that these girls are only hired for sexual favours.
It is happening and a lot of people are turning a blind eye! Sounds like you have an issue about this topic…hat fit you???
We need to decide if we want to pay permit holders a living wage to work their single job in their prescribed permit description and employer – OR – retain the meagre minimum wage tiers and allow those hungry and skilled to work multiple hustles within an open wage bracket where no Caymanian will tread. If neither, then it’s crime we choose as a society. We have to choose.
The owners for these business establishments needs to be jailed or their business taken away because they’re using and abusing their employees and working them to death for $6 and they’re also ripping off the government on a big scale to save a few $$$
They’re grandfathered in and untouchable unfortunately
You know the saying, every dog has their day.
Not these dogs.
True, T&BL is supposed to be pulled for breaches, but DCI never does it. It’s an open secret that the very civil service we entrust to take this action are also operating their own concurrent side-businesses from those very desks, and can’t throw rocks in (what used to be) THE glass house.
$6 per hour, seven days a week and no overtime pay for public holidays. This is happening at the bars.
They are making more than $6/hour
Cayman tongue twisters: how many workers at WORC have their own workers working WORC?
This is good.
But,
“raided a number of bars … [and one other] firm” where “three people were arrested”. So less than one infraction per raid. So either there is a lot less illegal working than people make it sound, or this isn’t even the tip of the iceberg and WORC/CIG have a bigger enforcement problem on their hands.
The community have to work with these organizations we just can’t keep on blaming the police or WORC.
When you see something happening report it you can stay anonymous!
Working and getting sexually abused for $6 it eventually starts affecting you mentally & yes I know because I witness first hand how this has affected my co-workers meaning not just ONE.
It is very inhumane just because these people have money, money is not everything. What happens when someone gets suicidal because of these circumstances and keeps on going to work because they have responsibilities abroad a family to take care of talking about CaymanKind some of you don’t have a soul!!!
So what, employers and workers can do whatever they want:
1) People getting permits when they have no work at all and make the worker pay them a kickback fee
2) All kinds of construction companies using whoever strolls up and never pay any insurance, pension, overtime, sick pay holiday- you name it they do not pay it.
3) No worker compensation or public liability insurance
Immigration letting certain things just “slip thru” and it is business as usual for certain groups, but if you are not in the group well look out. So arresting three people is a great achievement? How about a headline saying 50 illegal workers and 20 rogue business owners arrested? All this is just window dressing, nothing will change.
Never going to happen. The houses of cards of the powerful are protected.
LOL, they could do that every morning on Eastern Ave.
And get way more than 3. Why don’t they do this every day?
Maybe this was just a set up? Was it a political stunt?
same reason the RCIPS doesnt put up rad blocks on sunday on coast road between ritz and Palm Heights to catch drunk drivers after brunch….
Thousands of people are here in breach of immigration permissions, pension requirements, or have no health insurance. The pretense at enforcement is a scam.
Have no fear, the minimum wage committee will take care of all this.
Report them then you can do it anonymously. They will be reprimanded! Simple
Lodge immunity
The lodge can NOT protect them no more! Ask UAC
Then why are they still doing it?
If you know, you know.