Workers Voice: “Employment For Bermudians”
The Workers Voice has released a special edition focused on the “State of Employment for Bermudians under the OBA Government,” saying that Bermudians “are being displaced in their own country.”
The edition said, “The Bermuda Industrial Union is on record in 2012 just before the General Election in December of 2012 saying that the One Bermuda Alliance [OBA] is going to be supporting business at the expense of everyday Bermudians. The OBA had said at that time the BIU was wrong.”
Saying “you can be the judge as to what has happen since once the OBA was elected in 2012″ the Workers Voice listed the points below:
Term limits-were eliminated in the first six months of the OBA Government
Gaming – The OBA promised a referendum on gaming however once they became the Government they changed their mind
Work Permit Policy – The OBA wanted to create a work permit policy that would allow persons on a work permit who have children, to allow them to apply for Summer Student jobs over Bermudian Children. This policy was later withdrawn after the Minister of Home Affairs received push back from the people.
America’s Cup – The OBA Government used $77 million of the tax payers money to finance the America’s Cup, while seniors benefits have been cut, education benefits have been cut, etc, etc.
PRC – The OBA Government has exploited the “sleeping provision,” in the immigration policy that provides a path to allow about 1400 PRC’s to apply for Bermuda status.
Comprehensive Immigration Reform – The OBA Government had made a commitment to comprehensive immigration reform but have not honored this commitment. The OBA Government instead appears to have adopted a process of piecemealing changes to immigration reform.
Hiring Freeze – The Government has implemented a hiring freeze in order to reduce the cost of running the Government. This is causing a problem in providing quality services in certain areas for example, Parks, the Postal Service, Sanitation Services and Public Transportation, all of which are under staffed and therefore cannot provide the quality services that are required.
The publication goes on to say, “The One Bermuda Alliance Government has been saying that they are putting Bermudians back to work you be the judge as to who they are creating jobs for, based upon the report it certainly does not appear to be Bermudians based on the facts contained in the information that is being released by the Bermuda Department of Statistics.
“When the OBA was elected in December 2012 the number of Jobs by Industry according to the Department of Statistics Facts Figures 2015, page 8, states there were 35,475 jobs in 2012 and in 2014 the number of jobs dropped to 33,475, a decline of 1,968 jobs. We still don’t know the total number of jobs that declined in 2015. What we do know is the following…”
The Worker’s Voice quotes the 2015 Labour Force Survey as saying, “Notable job gains were reported among non-Bermudians in 2015. Non-Bermudian workers posted an increase of 5% or 377 positions for the year. In contrast, there was a 2% decline in the number of Bermudian workers with 413 jobs lost in 2015”.
“If you had any doubts about who the One Bermuda Alliance Government is concerned about when it comes to providing employment the numbers speak for themselves,” the article says.
“The Premier The Hon. Michael Dunkley, or the Minister of Home Affairs, Sen. The Hon. Michael Fahy, will come out and denying this information but the facts are the facts, Bermudians and Blacks Bermudians in particular are being displaced in their own country.”
The 8-page Workers Voice special edition follows below [PDF here]:
They charge their members 50 cents to read this??
How much are dues?
Anyone else notice the “Special Edition” putting the OBA on blast was released on a Bi-Election.
But none of my business….
lol
Bermudians are the most spoiled and entitled people in the world. Out of a working population of around 35,000, 30% are employed by Government which is ridiculous, one third are non Bermudian (on work permits) and one third Bermudian. 10,000 jobs are available to Bermudians. How on earth is the current Government anti Bermudian? Easy, facts are not in the favor of the BIU/PLP so make up stories that the gullible will believe.
$77 spent on Americas Cup. At least there is return on the investment and w know where the money is going, Under the PLP we “lost” $800 MILLION DOLLARS….nobody knows where it went. Therefore one can conclude that the PLP were incompetent because they lost $800M or the money was stolen or misused. Anyone disagree? And please if you do, list where you think the money went.
The PRC thing was created by the PLPs attempt to retain power. It was there own law that created the loophole?
By the way, shouldn’t the PLP membership be more concerned in where their money went, what is the real story behind the PHC deal and why is it that the BIU’s financial statements were 10+ years behind? They never used to be under previous leadership! Again one most wonder if the leadership behind the BIU (or their accountants) are either incompetent, or someone is hiding something. You cant have it both ways!
Yes, because you get lots of benefits. See the advert about discounts??? You can get 10% off at EUR AT’ILE? The management at Eurotile must be thrilled!
Well how much the Daily charges their members?
The unemployment situation as we all know lies at the feet of the PLP, the OBA has had to gut the engine of the car and start from basics in order to figure out how to bring this Island back. Why can’t our many small businesses hire their own – they won’t because they know that once they get the first check, they may or may not return. Take a walk through Par-la-Ville Park anytime of the day and see young people sitting there drinking and smoking weed and using profanity as it if were their first language. Would any of you hire them, go there, talk with them and see how many have returned from College or released from prison and have looked for jobs and been told they aren’t qualified and listen to how they feel. Bermudians Hire Bermudians FIRST even if at entry level. Tired of people blaming the OBA when it was our own that caused our employment to be in the shape it is in.
Sorry, CONCERNED. You will get a bit more tired. The wretched state of joblessness in tiny Bermuda, does lay at the feet of the oba/ubp.
Their lack of empathy for and total disregard for fellow Bermudians is appaulling!!
If the supposed minister fehy could out of one side of his mouth say that jobs for Bermudians are BEING FULFILLED, then out of the other side of his mouth… bring in countless numbers of OTHERS, there is a true problem.
Thousands of Bermudians are smarter, more intelligent than and care about the overall state of this country than OTHERS ever would. The tiredness will persist. oba/ubp foot the blame.
Ignoring the fact that the content of your post is complete rubbish, the standard of grammar displayed is precisely why many Bermudians are unemployable.
There are a massive proportion of Bermudians who are very employable. ‘Have Some Backbone’ is not one of them.
Your continued support of the false ideology of PLP’s/BIU supposed ‘Bermudians first’ only shows your willingness to continue to be blind with what is failing our country for the sake of party over country. Is the OBA for business, yes, in that this is not exclusive of putting Bermudians back to work. The 2 are in fact completely symbiotic, and was the reason for our boom years from the nineties to 2006, and this is supported by the resulting losses from 2007 to now. In order to get Bermudians back to work, we need to first get businesses back to our shores, and this means we now have to regain the competitive edge we once had, that the PLP let dull with their negligence, mismanagement of our affairs, and just general intolerance in the pursuit of their ‘Bermudians first’ approach, that left thousands of Bermudians out of or under employed.
More work permits were issued under the PLP !!!!!
PLP sold us out
That’s would be because of term limits.
No, Work permits were for two years, I just checked with someone. The term limits was effectively limiting the number of permits.
and thousands of those Bermudians do not meet the BASIC qualifications for an entry level job.
As I have said on previous articles “that is great you have 15 years of [plumbing, accounting, etc] experience, but we require certification”
@ Concerned, ya U.B.P gutted the engine of the car and forgot to put it back, now they’re running around like Flintstones !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LMFAO
yeah that’s you.
Excellent Report from B.I.U.Workers Union.Very Informative .One which I support wholeheartedly.Give Thanks.Peace.!
The workers voice has a vested interest in keeping union members paying into their pockets.
Fear, intimidation, scaremongering, biased reporting, you need us mentality, and they are the bad guys mentality SERVES their interests well.
Play spot the propaganda as you read it.
Unionized workers, sitting pretty and whining about their fat pay checks and benefits. Their unemployed neighbours really suffer, while they all go round justifying illegal strikes and PLP issues.
Not better then making $1000,00 a day and a $80,000 bogus bonus.
You wouldn’t know any better thats why smh!
The numbers of DISLIKES is a true example of OVERT RACISM in Bermuda.
WORKERS’ VOICE….continue to let your voices be heard!! DON’T BACK DOWN!!
Or, maybe people are just tired of their take-take-take and no give attitude.
Or maybe it’s just that people don’t like being lied to.
The government has not “used $77m of taxpayers money”.
There is no such thing as a “sleeping provision”. It does not exist. The law was passed by the PLP government how it was passed. It says what it says. No one has any choice but to follow the law that the government passed. To suggest anything else is a lie.
Dislikes equal racism?
“Here’s your sign.”
I guess that you feel that it is racism when the majority of people don’t agree with you. If the number of LIKES were greater , what would you call it?
Not racism…. how is it racism??????
Check yourself… Perhaps you see colour, whilst others see people…Maybe it is you who is the racist !!!!!!!
Tell that to the Black actors and actresses who didn’t get nominated for the Oscars !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mmmm
Huh?
Please explain the relevance of this to his comment.
That Racism still exist, and in Bermuda its very subliminal but effective.
Ummm what? Your truly brainwashed!
Of racism???? How in the world do you get racism from dislikes?
#racecard
The thought that some can be so easily manipulated and bamboozled by something like this is a scary thought. Forget that the “other” party bankrupted the country, forget that the auditor’s report clearly outlined a lot of the malfeasance, theft and corruption, forget that better laws have been put into place to ensure Bermudians come first in their own country….print emotional garbage and some people will believe it as gospel. There are none so blind as those who will not see..
The Wokers Voice is an even more biased piece of toilet paper than the others so much more so they can’t even claim to an journalistic publishing and are simply and wholly and propoganda rag. The publication of this opinion piece today has nothing to do with trying to highlight the plight of the workers under the OBA, and everything to do with PLP electioneering for today’s by election.
Ok betty
You know this is all very rich of the Worker’s Voice or anyone else who hates on the OBA because they have to deal the mess they inherited. Yes…many of us are still harping on that mess the OBA inherited because it matters when certain topics pop up.
My question is: what on Earth was the Worker’s Voice doing when the PLP were running around the place spending money like it was water from a fountain? What? You were hoping things were “pan out” and settle and get better?
You can’t even write a criticism much less criticise your own party.
So basically, the government needs to spend all it’s money on the benefits and the Jobs of the workers. That is the message here.
Yet they fail to mention that there has been no significant downsizing of the civil service as the PLP/BIU had harped on about. Did they lie?
Bermuda needs to revive its tourism product, it needs to spend money to do that and things like the America’s cup are designed to do exactly that. Pissing $77m away on perks for the workers and the retired makes no sense, that it the type of thinking that put us in the debt hole in the first place.
The BIU needs to understand where jobs actually come from and how they are provided to the worker!? They are not plucked out of thin air.
Illegal strikes and despicable behaviour by union members has disrupted this Island enough, people in the private sector the realTax payers who pay BIU wages need to make a stand against this insulting ignorance.
Said pefectly
Post of the year, right there.
All its money… plus some more money!
It isn’t $77 million. Citing that number just goes to show that the BIU hasn’t done its homework.
OBA = Wolf in Sheep’s clothing.
PLP/BIU = NO real grip on reality.
THE PLP were probably less than 6 months from closing the door on Bermuda and giving the keys to the IMF. Thank God the OBA won the last election.
As Betty would say “Spot on”
Lmao
Pure propaganda. And is there no proofreader at the BIU? I’ve never seen something so poorly-written for public consumption in my life.
Proofreading is racist
Nah. That’d be fact checking.
Hahahaha
Interesting that they make is sound like Dunkley only thinks people are good enough for farming. Nonsense !!! he never said anything of the sort.
Dunkley made money from Dairy farming. The whole reason it was brought up was in relation to the lack of freshly grown and available produce on the island. It relates to an opportunity that may be overlooked by folks. You only have to look at the recent shortages in the news to realize that we don’t produce enough.
See a need meet a need. That is recognizing a business opportunity.
“The OBA Government has exploited the “sleeping provision,” in the immigration policy that provides a path to allow about 1400 PRC’s to apply for Bermuda status.”
What utter nonsense. This ‘sleeping provision’ was included in the legislation by the PLP government and a few folks read the legislation and took a case to court which they won. There is nothing the OBA can do to stop it. So how are they exploiting this?
I seem to remember the Workers Voice removed itself from the Media Council so this publication can be classified as fiction.
Employment?
The PLP has said they will do anything and everything in their power to prevent the airport deal, the only project that will do that at any significant level.
Silly BIU.
Ever see the movie Groundhog Day?
Bermuda politics reminds me of that–times change but the same tired old arguments and rhetoric just continues to churn–
No wonder the place is in the mess it is.
Hello–its 2016!!!
The BIU doesn’t truly care about job losses of black Bermudian as they claim in the above article.
For instance between 2010 to 2012 (PLP years) the BIU notes that the number of black workers fell by 2,942 or 14%.
Over the same time period (2010 to 2012) the BIU notes that the white workforce grew 1,925 or 17%.
Yet despite these statistics does anyone remember the BIU issuing a special publication of their newspaper calling the PLP’s policies (the same ones they apparently miss) as anti-Bermudian and displacing Bermudians from the workforce?
Of course you don’t remember because it didn’t and would never occur when the PLP is in power.
This fact alone shows that the BIU is completely and utterly disingenuous with their so called claims of caring for the workforce. They only seriously care about their ultimate parent to be put back into power no matter how devastating they would be again to the job opportunities for locals.
They don’t even care about the potential jobs being lost due to their and their colleagues constant objection at any and every development that could take place under the OBA’s watch.
Does he write as poorly as he speaks? Guess Sista Lavernne earned her groceries this week proofreading and fixing all the grammatical errors.
Chris furBert & Laverne furbert where was the biu’S special write up when the plp was wasting money, where was the special write up when jobs was being lost from 2008-2012
Self serving are the union…..Vote to kick out the union and you’ll take more money home in your pay.
Whilst you sit and reflect on the past. Life is actually happening around you. Same reason we can’t move forward. The above isn’t true because the numbers are even worse than that. OBA has had enough time. Why you keeping picking on the civil service is beyond me. Why can’t you pick on your IB mates with billions (read the business section of rg today?), or maybe the Gibbons family shoot how about Mr dunkley himself. Ank nobody broke. Lmao. They know we gonna fight forevaaaaa (cardi b voice). While they stay making millions and expanding their friends and family plans. Sipping tea waiting for haters.
For those with short memories the Workers Voice along with the real workers voices were bought and paid for with the forgiveness of their debt.( one they could not pay ) The lie was that the union would not wild cat strikes but we know where that went.
Bottom line they got paid and now feel free to put the same team in maybe another round of forgiveness who knows.
The biu have zero credibility with the workers or anyone else until they get their books up to date. What are they hiding from the workers?????
Bro Chris go take a flying leap. Screw the union and its biased bull crap ideology. Break them.It is they who caused the sh** by their constant pandering to BAD WORK ETHICS, i.e. numerous walk outs called “we are having a meeting” belief that BERMUDIAN workers are so SUPERIOR NOT NOT NOT> welcome to the REAL world where there are people that will work at lower wages and still send money home yet contribute to the island economy. SICK OF IT.
And that’s why we have the Union, so employers wont treat the Bermudian workers like S!@# and try to keep our wages to the cost of living and rate of inflation, treat the cheap labor workers like that(which is like modern day slavery) but we need to maintain what our forefathers fought for so the next generation can benefit like how we are benefitting from our forefathers.
And if it wasn’t for the Union you wouldn’t be getting the wages and benefits you are enjoying now, like how your woman(if you are straight)gets maternity leave, sick pay, holiday pay etc,etc.
You think employers woke up one morning and had a come to Jesus moment and handed it to you, no FOOL people sacrificed for that so you and your children can have a good standard of living !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FOOL
Where was “SAGE ” to defend us, never should you under estimate the ability our seniors.
At the age of 65 everyone automatically saw the end of their employment with the Bermuda Government, no body defended those senior employees who found them selves out of a job and out the door, a brain drain to say the least.
However, there are those who the Government “pay to stay”, contrary to the cost saving cut back recommendations of SAGE.
Where is the equality in all that ?
Please correct me if you feel I am wrong but the one main reason why most employers prefer to hire a none Bermudian is for the simple reason they show up for work ON TIME and don’t bitch and there customers.