PLP Supports Linking Concessions To Jobs
After ten people were made redundant on Tuesday [Jan 28] at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess, Shadow Home Affairs Minister Walter Roban says that the Progressive Labour Party supports linking future concession packages to jobs and opportunities for Bermudians and that concessions should also be tied to succession planning and workforce diversity.
Mr Roban said, “The PLP supports linking future concession packages to jobs and opportunities for Bermudians. We are pleased to see that Minister Fahy has finally come around to the PLP’s position that future concession packages must be linked to sustainable job levels and opportunities for Bermudians.
“We further propose that concessions should also be tied to succession planning and workforce diversity. To whom much is given, much is expected and we believe that concessions must be tied to the hiring, training and promotion of Bermudians at every level.
“As The OBA attempts to introduce Commercial Immigration, we must ensure that Bermudians are not forced to watch from the sidelines as everyone else from everywhere else reaps the benefits.
“Today. ten Bermudians find themselves without jobs. They join the countless number who continue to find themselves unemployed or unable to gain employment. We have seen a year without an OBA Jobs plan and year of inaction on jobs for Bermudians. Bermudians need progress not more promises.
“In the absence of an OBA Jobs plan for Bermudians, we renew our call for the government to implement the PLP’s Jobs Plan as laid out in our Reply to the Throne Speech.
“Leaders recognize that good ideas have no political affiliation and that progress, not promises, are what is needed now.”
Glad to see the PLP are coming around to the OBA’s view and will undoubtedly assist the OBA in fixing the PLP’s Hotel Concessions Act.
So, the PLP support the OBA’s position..
Mr Roban said, “The PLP supports linking future concession packages to jobs and opportunities for Bermudians. We are pleased to see that Minister Fahy has finally come around to the PLP’s position that future concession packages must be linked to sustainable job levels and opportunities for Bermudians. PLP put this forward when they were the government !!
“As The OBA attempts to introduce Commercial Immigration, we must ensure that Bermudians are not forced to watch from the sidelines as everyone else from everywhere else reaps the benefits. Key is to ensure that Bermudians are not push aside and in the background only looking on. We must ensure that we look out for our people or it will come back to bite us in the butt.
WHAT DON’T YOU PEOPLE UNDERSTAND.
A qualified Bermudian will get hired ANY DAY over an equally qualified expat. The key word there is QUALIFIED.
Bermudians grow up with a sense of entitlement… And then the tides shift… And all of a sudden being Bermudian isn’t enough.
No they didn’t.
Hence why there are no mandatory clauses in the Hotel Concessions Act passed by the PLP a few years back.
But it doesn’t matter as it seems both Parties agree that going forward this must be amended and I agree with both.
Speaking of jobs Betty – you offered “to list whom is on the UBPoba Friends and family contracts by this government” Can you please do so in detail, including the exact amounts paid, frequency, length of contract and complete counter party names?
Please also provide at least five examples of sustainable, workable and realistic PLP suggestions to improve our economy for 2014.
PLP has always supported this, if you read carefully Mr. Roban did say he was glad that Minister Fahy has come around to support this idea. Well done and good moving forward. JOBS for are people are key here, more so for Bermuda’s economic future moving forward.
Caught again…Roban followed the OBA announcement with a comment.
Trump, please quit your lies, you are HURTING BERMUDA and BERMUDIANS.
@Hmmm….I understand your need to attempt to twist facts, But as they stand I think what is really hurting Bermuda is the lack of TRANSPARENCYINCLUSION as promised by the this UBPoba government. This is something that is eating at you, thus the need to work hard to defend the actions of this current government.
“In the absence of an OBA Jobs plan for Bermudians, we renew our call for the government to implement the PLP’s Jobs Plan as laid out in our Reply to the Throne Speech.
Enjoy the weekend…hope it refreshes you so much more !!
Didn’t the plp create the Hotels Concession Act?
Is the plp agreeing that this is this yet another poorly thought out piece of legislation that needs correcting?
Like any piece of legislation, the Hotel Concession Act is a Living and Breathing document and can be amended at any time. The legislation was started under the UBP and completed under the PLP. It is a bi-partisan piece of legislation with input from a number of sources on both sides of the political divide, and input from the private sector as well as civil service. Fact family man—Fact!
There seems to be a lot of “Living and Breathing” documents (why is that capitalised?) that need intensive care.
It is not a living and breathing document….its is a Statute.
take a break the plp said they support the plan to tie tax breaks to jobs the only way forward is to work togather think before you speak
The OBA Hamilton P concession order was almost identical to the one the PLP did in 2008. It had exactly the same conditions on employment etc.. I see the PLP statement is now very carefully using the term “future” concessions.
For all the complaining by the PLP and their supporters, the OBA did exactly same as the PLP, the only difference was the scope of the redevelopment and the scope of the concessions.
I guess once the PLP actually recalled their own actions, they had to tone down the screeching
Correct !
This story has been kicking around all week. It has taken this long for the PLP to conjure up SOMETHING to say!!!!!!!
According da fella, “same crap, just a different day”.
Mr Roban appears to be admitting that the concession entered into between the Hamilton Princess Property (not Fairmont who operate the property and were responsible for the layoffs) and the PLP was flawed. Rather like so many others such as Coco Reef, Club Med etc. Now he tries to say the OBA is following the PLP’s lead for future concessions. Still leading from behind. Rather similar to Ms Paula Cox when she said she will take a pay cut after her Ministers’ agree to do so.
Wasn’t it after the opposition agrred to do so…the OBA at that time then did, they put money to charity….Did she actually ever take the paycut?
When the hotel developer and the hotel manager are different entities, I don’t see how a concession to one of them can affect the other one. I think both Fahy and Roban are wrong.
Well, technically the developer may not be the owner or manager, but who is legally liable is the owner of the hotel and their legal agents, i.e. manager or developer. Concessions are given to the owner and the owner employs their agents.
If you link Government concessions to job creation and training and the management fails to reach those targets, the Government can legally require that the value of the funds are given back to the Government from the hotels profits. In other words, if the Government gave a hotel $10million in concessions and they failed to reach their targets on job creation and training then they can demand their $10million back from the hotel with interest. That is an example.
Needless to say hotel owners will place the accountability, transparency and responsibility on their managers, and managers who cost the hotel owners money will not be their managers for very long.
I am not saying what the Government will do because I do not know, however, there must be consequences, proscribed into law, for their (hotel owner and management) failure to live up to their end of the granted concessions.
London, England
I think you’re wrong. The operator of a hotel property hires and fires people completely independently of the property owner.
A landlord of a shop premises has no control over who is or is not employed by the lessee. This is essentially the same thing. The operator of a hotel, when it employs someone, is not acting as an agent of the property owner.
The only exception to this might be a small independent hotel, where the owner and the operator is the same entity.
Please re-read my post. The hotel owner gets the concession to upgrade his hotel, and the Government makes the deal of Bermudian hires and training with the owner for the concession.
It is then hotel owner’s responsibility to ensure that his management company or general manager fulfils the TERMS of the concession.
You make the owner accountable, that way, under law, he is liable.
The hotel owner must ensure that his management company or general manager fulfils the legal obligation.
London, England
Well said Valirie Marcia Akinstall I think you state this very effectively !!
I would question Valirie’s point. In this case the owner of the property received concessions to upgrade the property. That entails construction workers and ancilliary workers. That wouldn’t cover bartenders, waiters, porters, bellmen etc. Those jobs are the responsibility of the operator.
Maybe the confusion is between the Hotel Concessions provisions and Payroll Concessions which have been in place for around 4 years covering hotels and restaurants. Payroll concessions would be more applicable to be the responsibility of the operator, but not the property owner.
You really have no idea how businesses works do you. Perhaps when you leave student life and enter the real world you will wise up.
Still, your comments do seem to agree the point that as things stand there is no connection between the Green family and the former employers of the people let go.
I keep telling you Sandy Bottom show us your degrees or keep quite, your put downs are nothing more than personal slurs.
Since I am dead wrong, get a LAWYER to explain what I have said. Even those who cannot grasp the concept or fail to see the difference, in law, deserve respect.
Ringmaster…I am stating that the concession should be legally tweaked to bring the hotel owner into the equation of liability as the concession is given to him to improve his property. In return his must fulfil the requirements as set out by the Government, i.e., to to hire, train and promote Bermudians, and his management team or general manager must fulfil the requirements on his behalf. It must be set out in legislation.
And you are correct, the Green family, under the present Concessions Act, does not have that legal obligation.
Goodnight, Sandy Bottom!
London, England
Didn’t the PLP vote in favor if the Princess concessions and didn’t they lambast the Government when they got the actual amount of concessions the first time around?
Either way I agree that conditions must be in place to receive such benefits.
PS: As a point of clarification the ten people who lost their jobs were not all Bermudians
*Got the actual amount of concessions WRONG in the first place
…and NONE of the people who lost their jobs had been employed by the people who got the concession when the hotel renovations were planned.
This seems to be a basic fact that the BIU, the PLP & the OBA do not understand.
Who would of thought there would ever be a day when all three of them agree on something? I can understand the PLP & BIU not understanding the separation between hotel operator & hotel owner but I am very surprised at the OBA.
@ Triangle Drifter & Suzie Quattro,
You two should get together, and go somewhere lol.
Now Mr. Fahy doesn’t share your opinion, ad now he is wrong too? lol
IF you two don’t realize, what the hotel done was underhanded, and Mr. Fahy has called them out on it.
I find it funny how the GM got rid of these guys on Friday, and is gone before the dust even settles.
I thought I was supposed to be an “OBA fangirl”. Now you’re criticizing me because I disagree with the OBA on something?
I notice you can’t address the point I made. The concession was not given to the employers of the people let go. Too subtle for you?
@ Suzie Quattro,
I actually call you a groupie, and you are.
You are like like that little fruit fly, just won’t go away lmao.
Namecalling is usually the lowest for of debait.
LOL all I’m sayin on this.
de bait is what u need for fishin’.
Notice how Independent resorts to name calling. No answer to the point.
See now there lies a fundamental difference between a supporter of the PLP & the supporter of the OBA.
The OBA supporter is not led by the nose & intimidated to follow without question. If the OBA supporter disagrees he/she speaks up. As much respect as there is for Minister Fayhy, this time there are those who think he is wrong.
This is not a team sport where one blindly follows in the name of winning the prize.
I’m just glad to see both political partys agreeing on somthing on behalf of the People – because
there are times when this back and forth childish politicking nonsense get on people’s nerves and
dosnt do a dame thing positive for Bermuda.
OBA /PLP lets get the people back to work — and lets make it work.
They support anything which undermines business. When businesses are successful, jobs are created. Business is all about profit. No one will invest/operate if there is no return on their capital.
Mr Roban I was in agreement and in admiration of your statement UNTIL commercial immigration. You know that commercial immigration is NOT about everyone else reaping from Bermuda whilst Bermudians stand on the sidelines, it’s about investment, millions of dollars in investment – if they (OBA) strike the right balance.
Yes, I can argue both sides of this fence on commercial immigration because it does have merits, but I am yet to see the OBA convince us of its merits for Bermuda – the proportional balance.
What will commercial immigrants get? I know that it’s not a Bermudian or British passport, that door will close December 2014 when the UK starts to issue all passports from the UK. They (UK) will NOT allow Bermuda to grant any citizenship that will automatically allow these foreigners access to both the UK and the EU countries. So, either they (commercial immigrants) will get another form of PRC or the UK government will be a vital negotiator in this process.
Nonetheless I have digressed from the main issue, government concessions should be linked to job creation and training for Bermudians. But who would have thought that Bermuda would be in this negative economic downturn? So yes amendments to legislation is required – immediately, but isn’t there a team of Alan Dunch, Wendell Hollis, Chris Furbert, etc, looking into new employment legislation also? Enacted with concessions there should be legal sanctions put in place for employers who do not adhere to these laws, rules and/or regulations.
The succession line (it sounds like a living trust) and workforce diversity? But legislators can get very creative here. It just goes to prove that job losses have a very rippling effect on Bermuda’s socio-economic landscape and there must be continuous tweaking to keep the balance as foreign investors watch very carefully for signs that will convince them invest with confidence.
London, England
FINAL EDIT
Mr Roban, I was in agreement and in admiration of your statement UNTIL commercial immigration. You know that commercial immigration is NOT about everyone else reaping from Bermuda whilst Bermudians stand on the sidelines, it’s about investment – millions of dollars in investment – if they (OBA) strike the right balance.
Yes, I can argue both sides of this fence on commercial immigration because it does have merits, but I am yet to see the OBA convince us of its merits for Bermuda – the proportional balance.
What will commercial immigrants get? I know that it’s not a Bermudian or British passport, that door will close December 2014 when the UK starts to issue all passports from the UK. They (UK) will NOT allow Bermuda to grant any citizenship that will automatically allow these foreigners access to both the UK and the EU countries. So, either they (commercial immigrants) will get another form of PRC or the UK government will be a vital negotiator in this process.
Nonetheless I have digressed from the main issue, government concessions should be linked to job creation and training for Bermudians. But who would have thought that Bermuda would be in this sustained negative economic downturn? So yes, amendments to legislation is required – immediately. But isn’t there a team of Alan Dunch, Wendell Hollis, Chris Furbert, etc, looking into new employment legislation also? Enacted with concessions there should be legal sanctions put in place for employers who do not adhere to these laws, rules and/or regulations.
The succession line (it sounds like a living trust) and workforce diversity? But legislators can get very creative here. It just goes to prove that job losses have a very rippling affect on Bermuda’s socio-economic landscape and there must be continuous tweaking to keep the balance as foreign investors watch very carefully for signs that will convince them invest with confidence.
London, England
For real Roban? You are a fool!!!!! Try and take credit when OBA does a good thing! you are a clown!
I don’t care two licks of a lizards back side what the PLP/BIU think about anything.
But thousands of others do, and as a result the Opposition will voice their views on key issues that impact Bermuda and its people. Have a great day !!
Who thousands? You must have a very big family. Maybe your mythical Sherry J family.
I guess the “thousands” includes all three Betty Trumps.
That type of irresponsible comments by the Joker and Bermuda Boy are tiring, insultive and pointless. When the OBA are GODS then your statements makes sense. And if they are GODS to you both then that mental health court that the Chief Magistrate comments on cannot come into effect quick enough!
Stay off the personal smear and read, digest and give a compliment when it’s due, be a part of the solution, you can assist your political party more effectively, if, when your cannot give constructive critique, at the very least you can be silent.
Sometimes freedom of expression does not always have to be expressed.
London, England
People can say what they like, when and where, it is up to the media to stop them, not you. You, with your holier than thou attitude, and don;t even live here? Seriously? You seem to have a problem when people express themselves and you don;t think they say thing the proer way, get a life girl!
Not holiness, just respect.
The media cannot stop you from expressing your point of view, just block you from using their format to express it. However, the law will stop you as there are certain freedom of expressions that are unlawful.
I have always held the belief that those who post under false names do so ONLY to be vicious to others under a false identity. And you express that perfectly.
London, England
Well said again Valirie Marcia Akinstall, but I do not think they are interested in constructive debate, I really think it is a political strategy they excise over the blogs to defend their political party at any cost. I think the level of debate is higher else, on here there a few persons whom have an agenda. That is too off-set real debate on issues.
In the eastern Caribbean an ISLAND need a new HOTEL and therefore negotiated a TAX relief of (50)that’s right “FIFITY YEARS” because they know what it brings.
Those of you in Government for four year terms think you are going to “CONTROL” business really are “STUPID”.
I would suggest you shut-up and go and get a life.
Very true. Once a Government start interfering with business, business wins. The idea is good from a local vote getting standpoint but don’t try to impose anything apart from soft terms and conditions. If you try stronger terms such as workplace diversity the “new hotel investment of $500 million” will never get off the ground and will go to a friendly environment. Bingo, no new jobs and revenue.
Mark Bean said 25 jobs at his betting shop?
Will Craig Flowers of Padaise Games Bahamas help with this?
WHats his share in the Bermuda operation by the way?
Who are the real owners of Paradise Games?
@ Valirie Marcia Akinstall, I’ll bet you ran off to England while the PLP / BIU were in power. Irresponsible, how about free speech!!
Amusing…at least they have never threatened and/or warned me not to come back…
London, England
With millions of dollars taken out of Bermuda’s tax system and given as tax breaks to hotels; we should expect that the country should get something out it in the way of employment for it’s people.
Those tax breaks were not given so that hotels can make greater profits for it’s shareholders; while contributing nothing to the country that is it’s host.
It time that Bermuda puts it’s economic relationship with foreign investors in proper perspective. We are not the only country that has foreign investors participating in it’s economy. Japan makes cars in America and it is a mutually beneficial relationship. Most oil producing countries that export oil do so in partnership with international oil companies. There is no question of a sense of beholding on the part of host country with the investor assuming a superior position over the country in which it operates in; even if in some cases it may very well own an industry in the said country. For to long Bermuda has looked upon investors as if we as a country should assume a position of beholding. We should point out that any such economic relationship with a foreign investor is one that is mutually beneficial for the investor and Bermuda. In other words we should put our value on the table and in that way as in the case of the foreign owned hotels in this country; that not withstanding decisions made to enhance it’s profits; such decisions should not be undertaken without taking into account the interests of Bermuda.
Yes, but the OBA needs to stop buckling under pressure. When IB barked at paying $225,000 for their PRCs, the OBA should have taken it off the table rather than reduce it to $25,000.
We need to realise our worth and start negotiating from a position of strength, not by legislative fire sales.
London, England
If I may, Bermuda is currently not in a position of strength. It is weak and still going downhill – see retail sales for December for example.
Hotel concessions do not take money out of the tax system, Payroll Tax Exemptions do. The estimated Tax reduction with the Payroll Exemption was around $50m a year. A Hotel Concession allows construction to take place that would not take place without the tax break. No construction, no tax so a Nil result. That employs people and at the end should enable more people again to be employed in the hotel. Ironic of course is that due to the Payroll Tax exemption, the Government doesn’t benefit from what should be tax revenue.
The answer is not simple, but does require more visitors staying in hotels.
For Alvin, a polite comment that it is “its” in the possessive form – “it’s” is only used for “it is”. Enjoy Sunday all.