BARBADOS: Illegal labour a problem

http://www.nationnews.com/editorial/319148221531480.php
Published on: 9/2/07.

There is food for thought in the article: Hotel Hold-up, on the Back Page of the Sunday Sun dated August 19.

The report states, among other things: "One of the problems identified was that many applicants were here illegally.

"More than 50 per cent of the people who came for an interview are working here illegally. So I think Barbados has a problem in itself if it has a significant amount of immigrant workers working illegally in the construction industry.

"We agreed with the Labour Department that we will only employ those who are legal," said developer Robin Paterson.

What a revelation!

* Isn't this what those people who are being labelled xenophobic are talking about?

* Would you like us to believe that they are being paid the rate Bajans would ask for?

* If they are working illegally isn't it obvious that they would take whatever the employers offer as they would have the threat of being reported to Immigration, if they did not take what was offered, hanging over them like the sword of Damocles?

* Were those illegal immigrants who turned up for interviews held for deportation? If not, why not?

This report tells me that those who are working illegally and went job-hunting are not satisfied with the terms and conditions under which they are presently working.

The ball is in the court of all the workers' unions in this country to do their utmost to stamp out these trends which amount to nothing else but greed and exploitation.

I do not think that there is any industry in Barbados where this trend is not present.

However, it seems that it is most blatant in the construction industry. This means less jobs for Bajans, and less money for the National Insurance Scheme!

Sir Roy Trotman's voice is like that of a man crying in the wilderness as he keeps asking for minimum-wage legislation. If it were something for the benefit of the rich it would have been passed long ago!

It has long been known to Bajans that many non-nationals work in the construction industry, but this astonishing disclosure has really put the cat among the pigeons.

* Aren't companies brought before the court for hiring non-nationals illegally?

* If so, will those companies which hired these persons be brought to justice?

* What does Reverend Joseph Atherley and the Immigration Department say about this?

* Is this the sort of treatment Bajans are supposed to sit/lie down and take without uttering a word?

I should think not – and we will not!

– Anthony Davis