'We cannot import all the labour & have locals sitting @ home'- Hon Wheatley
He said it is not because the department is overly slow but it is because it is ensuring locals are not disenfranchised.
According to the Labour Minister, there are labour challenges in all parts of the world and the Virgin Islands is no different.
"What we see happening in the VI now on a broad scale is that no one expected the VI to turn around so quickly and for the economy to be so robust,” Hon Wheatley said on VIP Let’s Talk on ZBVI 780 AM last night, January 18, 2022.
He said the VI is seeing a situation where a number of businesses are all seeking to recruit and hire persons at the same time.
"It is unprecedented, it never really happened before and the local labour pool as we know is very restricted and very small. So many persons are forced to seek labour from the outside. Now we cannot import all the labour and have our local persons sitting at home. It is always important to us in Labour that we seek out the locals who would be able to fill the positions before we send them on the outside,” he explained.
Due diligence
During those times, he explained the processing time can be lengthy.
“Hence sometimes we have a delay in processing permits; it is not that the system is slow, it is that we are doing due diligence to make sure we are not giving away jobs that locals can do. In the frenzy and in the fit to hire everybody, the easiest thing to do is just approve all work permits; a lot of persons would be happy, but what about that local person who is sitting on that corner? Who can mop that floor for you, who can DJ for you, who can be a waiter for you, do we not give them a chance?” the Labour Minister asked.
The majority of the workforce consists of expatriates.
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36 Responses to “'We cannot import all the labour & have locals sitting @ home'- Hon Wheatley”
Well said honorable Weathley, but firm actions must accompanied those words of justice. This unethical practice has became common place in the BVI workforce, and little or no actions of justice as taken place to "nip" such practice in the bud. Primary culprit of such practice is R****y, why they are getting away with such, locals must be last or never in the queue for R*****y. In recent times R*****y brought in over 8 foreigners/expats, placed them in managerial positions ,for the locals to ( train them), that's OKAY?... WORKERS ARE afraid to speak up, especially when they are on work permits, and also claimed that our labor department and immigration sided with these companies who indulged in such unethical and unfair practices, by way off feet dragging when complains are made. I went in R*****y few days ago, I was astounded with all these expats, people right in the company I know qualified and not given a chance. Only expats much earn big money. Ultimately I am appealing via this medium to our minister and labor and immigration to turn the corner on this one.
Moreover, the Virgin Islands (British) will need to import labour. But it needs to take prudent, sensible and practical actions to minimize the amount labour imported. It needs to develop a national labour management master plan. It does not have to reinvent the wheel; it can benchmark other successful locales. In the interim, some imported positions may require a local understudy as is done in other regional countries. Additionally, in other locales, employees exploit foreign and motivated workers at the expense of locals. Is this happening in the VI?
were evil and racist
action speaks louder than words
You have locals at home right of that number how many truly want to work and have to qualification desires by employors today. Fix that then you address the other issues of making locals marketable for the current work force. I am not against the topic of locals needing job but i am strongly against government forcing me to hire someone or persons that dosent have the qualifications. I am one the believe experience comes from opporturnities afforded to ppl. But i have a serious question for the Minister trying to bully business owner and his gangsters ( labour and immgration) have you look at the ambition of the current generation? I have sent first hand local men and women work to gain enough money to buy bullshit like scooter and other crap that dont mean nothing after its bought stay home after gaining the funds to get what they desire and try come back weeks or months later after funds dry up so tell me how my business will function with employees with that kinda mind set. Local have the opporturnity for gainful employment but they attitude toward work kills the prospects of personal growth and ultimately the opporturnity for future locals seeking employment. You wanna be real understand person starts there businesses just like you to generate revenue and growth i doing start a company to be on pause cause i hire your pick that labour send me that only looking to work until he or she can afford what they want to fit into their peers and walk off the job leaving my business at square one ( looking to hire again after 2 weeks or a month)
I wonder who are locals to this country because it have kids here that born here and still they parents have to pay for time so they can live in a country there drawn their first breath. This place is twisted and have serious reservations. By quick to calm person doing well internationally who either born hear to white parents meanwhiles the ones that born here to black and spanish ppl has to live years here to get status because of where their parents from who not from this place you label bvi love. So i ask you mr. Minister who are locals you are takling about cause it seem to be only where is suit you and your othe 12 kings you know locals.
In closing your either a democatic country or a communist country.
contributing to the country / the employers who not contributing nothing is said about that/ instead you flexing your muscles on people who work honestly and send some money through money gram ,( real hypocrisy