CITA threatens to quit working with NWDA

| 23/02/2015 | 32 Comments

(CNS): The local tourism association has threatened to pull out of its partnership with the government’s job agency following negative publicity surrounding its most recent job drive. Bodden Town MLA Alva Suckoo raised significant concerns about the potential manipulation of the exercise by employers trying to justify permits. But CITA has hit back at both the accusations by the government councillor and the NWDA for not clearing up what CITA said were misstatements and unfounded allegations.

Defending the October job-drive, entitled CayTED, which was supposed to be in partnership with the National Workforce Development Agency, the Cayman Islands Tourism Association said Friday that it had been very restrained over the situation but it wanted the NWDA to “publicly issue authoritative, clear and firm corrections” to the accusations made by Suckoo.

“In light of the negativity that has been cast on CayTED, if these falsehoods remain uncorrected in the public perception CITA will have to disassociate itself from any future iteration of a tourism employment drive in conjunction with NWDA. Furthermore CITA reserves the right to defend itself whether publicly or in any other forum, against false and damaging allegations,” the organisation said in an open letter to the press.

Defending the drive, CITA said over 20 people were placed in jobs in tourism.

“It is very disheartening therefore for CITA, and for the tourism leaders and HR industry professionals who volunteered countless hours of time and effort to create and run these initiatives, to be the target of allegations about a lack of transparency and fierce attacks alleging that our intentions in these efforts were to somehow manipulate the job drive to be a “deliberate attempt to discredit Caymanians and justify using cheap labour”. This misinformed and unwarranted attack is a very sad state of affairs that does not bode well for the future prospects of the tourism industry,” CITA officials said in the letter, which was unsigned.

The association said it created a public website to make it easier for interested candidates to see several jobs that are available in the tourism industry and obtain full details to apply for those jobs. When CNS checked Monday morning, there were still just six jobs on the site, as noted by Suckoo when he first raised his concerns about the drive with CNS.

CITA said that at the start of the drive around 42 jobs were posted to its site, comprising more than 61 vacancies with a diverse range of employers. The association said it had promoted those vacancies and enlisted the assistance of professional recruitment firms to interview the applicants.

“We consider it outrageous therefore to infer anything other than a transparent and professional process that was fully intended to place suitable unemployed Caymanians into tourism jobs,” the officials stated, claiming it had forwarded a ‘snapshot’ to the NWDA of the jobs in October when the drive started and had copied the spreadsheet on the day of the drive and given it to an NWDA member.

However, in a statement from the NWDA last week sent to CNS in connection with Suckoo’s concerns and allegations, the NWDA said there had been some miscommunication between it and the MLA but it still did not have a full list of the jobs, though the agency confirmed seeing the spreadsheet. Offering its support to CITA, the new NWDA director said he was hoping that job seekers referred to employers during the drive would be “given a fair and equitable opportunity” to be considered for the vacancies.

Suckoo had raised his concerns about the drive when earlier reports in the press that the drive was a failure because the local candidates were not up to scratch didn’t tally with the experiences reported to him by job seekers. Following up on the outcomes, Suckoo, who has been working hard to help locals find work, queried whether the drive had been manipulated.

CITA Open letter on CayTED – 20 Feb 2015

Email from NWDA to CNS 13 Feb

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Tags: , , ,

Category: Jobs, Local News

Comments (32)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Anonymous says:

    Al has the RIGHT as a Caymanian to stand up FOR Caymanians!! He has done more for the unemployed that many who has been there for ages! He has every right to challenge what he sees as an injustice and just “a show”. Many of those who turned up for CITA will now have that plastered on their CV’s as part of community-work for their PR application! I hope that the PR Board notes the date of that “CITA work drive” on the applications that will be forthcoming!! One thing for sure; whilst unna all on here chewing AL he goes on fighting for his people cause I believe 3/4 of these comments are EX-pats!! Anyways AL, keep on keeping on; don’t pay these negative comments any mind cause that’s those that got cheap-labor work permits; bundled up 16 to a 3 bedroom house; or 3 to a room only big enuf for a closet while they build mansions where they come from! Keep going AL……call those unscruplous employees out……Yah sound like Premier Ewing of TCI……
    Unna can’t say unna not been warned and put on notice by a newbie at that!
    POW!!! Tek dat……

    • Anonymous says:

      Name one job he’s got for a Caymanian?

    • Anonymous says:

      It is you, the Caymanian people, who grant these permits, you who employ expats to cleans up after you and you who have them working in your businesses.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Who cares what CITA wants to do both them and the NWDA are useless

  3. Caymans List says:

    If he feels that CITA mishandled the job drive , why doesn’t the CIG sponsor their own drives, most likely because they don’t want the fault placed on them if they fail. Why does everyone think the private sector is responsible for insuring that Caymanians are employed, what ever happened to Ezzards quest to find Caymanians to fill jobs currently held but expiring Work Permit holders that practically no one showed up for? Not a word about that, it just fizzed up and died, did anyone accuse him of mishandling it ?

    Why doesn’t the CIG sponsor jobs fairs where qualified Caymanians can show with their CV’s and showcase their skills to HR representatives from the private sector that are invited. Where’s the opportunities for Caymanians to get the skills to secure jobs in the tourism business or even the construction industry, you know like courses in hospitality training.

    It is high time for people to stop blaming CITA or the Private sector at large for Caymanian unemployment. It is not their responsibility to ensure Caymanians have jobs or that they are qualified to and have the skills to secure these jobs. This responsibility lies squarely on the individuals who want to get these jobs and the CIG has the responsibility of providing opportunities to obtain the skills and education needed, however it is still your responsibility to take advantage of these opportunities.

    Blaming the private sector is just a cop out on the part of the CIG as well as the individuals who claim it’s their fault.

    Bottom line is that if you want a job it is your responsibility to seek out and find one. No one is responsible for just giving you one.

  4. FaHeysus says:

    This is what you get when you have government interference in the private sector. Maybe Al Suckooo wants to sit in on every interview and track every sickie day. Get your damn hands out of business that is not yours and get to legislating. This country needs family planning and policies that encourage a return to family values. The country needs to build citizens that respect themselves and the country.

    • Shhhhhh. says:

      I will not join the us and them slap match, what I am dissapointed in is that Alva, who is a part of the Govt. should launch this attack on CITA in the media. Why not work through the CIG to address the matter with CITA? I simply do not believe that was the way to go, but I respect Alva, and maybe he has cause.

  5. Given a situation where all miscommunication is clarified and all cards are on the table – I would back Suckoo over CITA on any given day.
    Many of the criticisms of Councillor Suckoo are way off base and quite simply do not speak to his character.
    I
    n regards to CITA’s threat to quit working with the NWDA, I believe that says a lot about their commitment to the supposed task at hand.
    Personally, this is the most disappointing element of this entire debacle.

    I trust cooler heads will prevail because we will all be forced to bear the negative social ramifications if everything falls apart.
    In that event CITA loses, Suckoo loses and Cayman loses.

    Sounds good to anyone?

    • Also, it is a breath of fresh air to hear complaints of a Cayman politician doing “too much” to look after the interest of those that voted him into power.
      If this is a reason for CITA to throw a tantrum then perhaps they should review their current leadership and make the necessary changes.

  6. Thor says:

    The Chamber of Commerce is next!

  7. Anonymous says:

    OH Come on Ron Kipp you know that his kind of issues have been going on for some years now even when we where is the CIHCA. You know that it never worked it was always against the Caymanians and all for the expats.

  8. Ron Kipp says:

    Yes, CITA. Stop working with NWDA and do not pay attention to frustated wanna-be politicans currently blowing off on talk shows.

    Many of your members took their time and gas money to travel around the island only to have a poor poor response in showing up by job applicants.

    Any Caymanian that wants to work can get a job. It may be one or two steps below their expectations but–it is a job. Everybody knows it is much easier to get a job if you have a job.

    • annoymous says:

      Sorry Mr. Kipp but it is never that easy nowadays for a Caymanian. We can qualify through the ceiling the mere fact that we are a Caymanian us the reason why we never get the job. Let’s be real here. You may hade been a decent employer during your time but what we have to deal with now is abusive, prejudicial and racist. We Caymanians are treated as “bottom class” in our country.

      • Anonymous says:

        Out of interest, how does your theory account for the 20,000 Caymanians that are employed? And the large number that have been extremely successful in the private sector?

      • Anonymous says:

        Time and again I am waiting to interview people who just do not show up for interview. Always the no shows are Caymanian. I want to employ Caymanians because I am Caymanian, but what would you suggest i do? Close my business.

  9. Anonymous says:

    Nice Jobs CITA. General Manager of a hotel is amongst those advertised paying as little as $5/hour? Me thinks you may just be protesting a little too much.

  10. LowerValleyian says:

    Al, thank you for being a politician who is concerned about your country’s people not only your own constituents but those from any district.

  11. Anonymous says:

    I am sure that some people will never be happy no matter what is done to help get Caymanians into jobs. Some people enjoy the story of expat vs Caymanian too much. There could be total harmony and 100% employment and some people will still find a way to complain about the situation. For one thing, it’s an easy way to get votes, spinning that rhetoric. It’s much harder to explain to people that the economy is not a zero-sum game and that there are not a finite number of jobs in the Cayman Islands. Removing an expat form a job does not put a Caymanian in it. For there to be work there needs to be a growing population and a growing economy. Rolling people over and creating constant discord and instability does not foster investment or economic growth. The sooner the us-them divide stops and the sooner education improves, the sooner all Caymanians will be better off.

    • annoymous says:

      Since you are so smart about Expat vs Caymanians who you think started that ACT!? It surely wasn’t Caymanians because if we were warrior like people as some other regional jurisdictions are Expats would not have been able to get a job in this country. Expats would not be able to become citizens after a short stay, so please stop talking about Caymanians vs Expats because you know nothing at all. And for the record because we opened our doors and gave Expats a chance at a hell of a better life than most Caymanians it is infact the Expat who turned around and started their rant against us. Speak the truth or don’t speak at Al.

      • Anonymous says:

        I don’t think it matters who started what. My point stands. The sooner the bickering stops, the sooner education improves, the sooner progressive policies towards economic growth and stability are adopted, the sooner all Caymanians will benefit.
        Going over the same arguments of he said, no he said, expat this and Caymanian that.. don’t solve anything at all. In fact, this leads to a breakdown in community, and animosity. These are not productive things. Community building, understanding that welcoming expats into the islands is good for economic growth which is good for Caymanians, focus on education and family… these are productive avenues for improving society. The solutions are not always intuitive or politically expedient however and i fear that it will a long time before a politician is brave enough to actually tackle the problems.

    • Anonymous says:

      Education is improving despite what C4C and Tara Rivers would have you believe. She might know that if she actually met with the staff and talked to them and allow the inspectors she brought on island to talk to the teachers. She could do with a bit of Engaging, connecting, Learning herself but then she would have to want to build on successes rather than destroy.

  12. Anonymous says:

    Wow! So they are threatening to “stop working with the NWDA”, because they are being criticized?? Sounds very suspicious to me. Perhaps the comments from Mr. Suckoo has struck a nerve.

    Now the only play that CITA has is the defense position. Perhaps if CITA can prove otherwise to Mr. Suckoo’s allegations, they should show factual data, instead of taking such a spoiled child approach?

    I’m beginning to believe him over them.

    • Fred the Piemaker says:

      Trouble is, they have shown the NWDA the data, and the NWDA just say they have not seen it. They set up the initiative, they put their efforts in, and they get criticised for it. If they done nothing at all they would have been better off. And you think their saying they wont do it again is “suspicious”. SMH. Meantime every other employer on the island who has seen what has happened will be throwing any ideas they had of launching a job drive for Caymanians, because they will now realise that they will get no thanks for trying, only blamed for failing to hire those who dont even bother to turn up for interviews. Way to go, Mr Suckoo – your intervention has helped enormously.

  13. Anonymous says:

    and the DRAMA continues I tell you a revolutions is a coming LOLLLLOL

  14. Anonymous says:

    CITA are trying – truth be told, many people just don’t want the jobs, start admitting to that instead of thinking everyone is out to get you.

    • annoymous says:

      Hello are you living in a bubble? Or are you one of those who has a safe work permit that will take you to PR; and just you wait until you get PR they will treat you the same way. You better stay on your work permit otherwise you get screwed out of work like the rest if us fir cheap imported Labour.

  15. Guest says:

    Suckoo’s concerns seems to be about votes at the cheapest possible means, not weather the allegations are true or not. It much easier to get votes by anger and division rather to earn votes through merit and actual measurable accomplishment. To lead an entire nation with everyone’s interest included is must more difficult than to split up people into a voting segments, and make yourself seemingly indispensable in order for justice to be served. The sad fact is this tactic works, and it works just about everywhere in the world and what you will find, those same people supposedly protected by the great care givers of justice and equality, are always and will always be poor because rather than accomplishing for themselves, they entrust their future into someone promise’s of justice and compensation. Which of course usually translates into crumbs, just big enough to keep the votes for the next election.

  16. Anonymous says:

    Suckoo’s concerns seems to be about votes at the cheapest possible means, not weather the allegations are true or not. It much easier to get votes by anger and division rather to earn votes through merit and actual measurable accomplishment. To lead an entire nation with everyone’s interest included is must more difficult than to split up people into a voting segments, and make yourself seemingly indispensable in order for justice to be served. The sad fact is this tactic works, and it works just about everywhere in the world and what you will find, those same people supposedly protected by the great care givers of justice and equality, are always and will always be poor because rather than accomplishing for themselves, they entrust their future into someone promise’s of justice and compensation. Which of course usually translates into crumbs, just big enough to keep the votes for the next election.

  17. Anonymous says:

    Stop working CITA, you are not helping Caymanians anyway, show a token here and one there. Vegas has a lot of tokens, work there.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.