One Man Protest Outside North Rock Restaurant

March 2, 2016

A one-man protest took place outside of North Rock Restaurant on South Road this afternoon [March 2] with the protest, which resulted in the police being called, centered around some form of issue alleged to involve pay stubs.

North Rock restaurant Bermuda March 2 2016 (5)

The protester, who identified himself as Carlos Swan, told Bernews, “My boss wants to call the police to get my pay stub. If he wants to give me my pay stub now, how come he couldn’t give it to me when I was working here?

North Rock Brewery Bermuda, March 2 2016-1

“He wants to wait to police come, I called the police and now he wants to give me all my pay stubs? If that’s the case, if he want to give me my pay stubs, he should give me my 2016 vacation pay too…and then I accept my pay stubs,” added Mr Swan — who was shaking a New Year’s Eve noisemaker while holding the protest.

In response to the situation, Omar Hamed, who works at North Rock, told Bernews that he got his pay stub and he thinks everyone else did too, and also alleged that Mr Swan stopped working for the last 5 weeks.

The police attended the scene, and a few people also gathered to watch as the protest was underway.

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Comments (103)

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  1. Navin Pooty Tang Johnson says:

    he would fit right in with the Bipartisan blah blah protest of yesterday morning

    • WiseArs says:

      Just as OBA would fitbright in with Trump . Bunch of followers . General Election cant come soon enough i know my ppl have learned their lesson.

      • Come Correct says:

        You that kid that spent hours trying to fit the square block in the circle hole, weren’t you?

      • John says:

        You’re delusional…The PLP followers are more representative of Trumps followers….bigots, racists, misogynist…should I go on?

        • Boney Money says:

          You don’t have a fricking clue, which is sad.

    • …..and you definitely WOULD NOT. Too busy being inhumane and racist!!

    • Onion Juice says:

      When Black people realize that after 400 years of FREE labor and making Europeans wealthy, your services are no longer required.
      They have a new wave of modern day slaves.
      Until you realize that you would be more at ease.

      • hmmm says:

        You have enslaved yourself Onion Juice. Free your mind and be your own boss, start your own business…Nothing stopping you but yourself.

        • Onion Juice says:

          Ya, but on a whole we still live in a Racist society and it needs to be delt with accordingly.
          Just like in de days gone by.
          Same S!@# different day.

      • aceboy says:

        Mugabe-esque. How’d that work out for his country?

  2. Smh says:

    This is so sad.. MY PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING !!!!! Wake up!

    • WiseArs says:

      Very Sad ! And they say this osland isnt divided im sure we can see clearly now .

    • high road says:

      Can’t be hurting too bad if he didn’t show up for work for 5 weeks

      • The Original Truth™ says:

        Another going on something alleged. There’s always more than one side to a story.

    • To smh……..the dislikes(42) which your comment has received is a direct indication that there are too many racist, biased,being on this island.
      … illness has not gone away since slavery was in place, then abolished!!!

      • hmmm says:

        @ have some backbone…check your mirror…you’ll find one staring back at you !!!

    • Cathy says:

      You don’t know what suffering is. Bermudians are not suffering!!

      • planeasday says:

        So in your view Cathy things should be worse for Bermudians?

        • WillSee says:

          They could be a lot worse,for everyone,you just do not know ant better.

        • hmmm says:

          That is a silly comment. Surely you can see that you made a silly comment as plane as day !

  3. San George says:

    Future civil servant – only place you get a fair shake.

    Quo Fata Ferunt

    • Truth Teller says:

      Well I see that the Donald Trump voters, “Pooty Tang Johnson”and “San George” are weighing in as expected.

      • Double S says:

        Donald Trump is against immigration, spews divisive rhetoric while his supporters call for anarchy, unrest and violence.

        So exactly which segment of Bermudian political supporters truly resemble Trump supporters?

        Be honest with yourself even though you might not like the answer.

        • mixitup says:

          Do you really want that answer?

          • Zevon says:

            Which part of Bermuda has nothing to say except how much they hate foreigners? I think we know the answer to thst.

          • Onion Juice says:

            Its called reverse Racism. Like Trump has no clue about David Duke and KKK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
            LMFAO

            • planeasday says:

              Have you actually listened to what David Duke has to say as of late? If you did you would soon realize that the true enemy to humanity is common to us all…

              David Duke has renounced all ties to the KKK has moved on to a far more important agenda-I am of mixed race and I agree with many things he has to say.

        • Loquat Juice says:

          HELLOOOOO!!

        • rhonda says:

          Even a broken clock is right sometimes…. Not that I believe Trump is truly against cheap illegal Labour, since he has been caught several times using that same Labour …

          But I am against cheap legal Labour in Bermuda, it is the root of all our issues..

          • Rubblish says:

            What a daft statement. Are you willing to pay 20% more for groceries so that marketplace can pay $25/hr to shelf packers? Government pays lots, but who actually pays in the end? Us.

            • Its me again says:

              Maybe we should nationalize all business have essential goods and services

            • Onion Juice says:

              But that shelf packer has to pay $2000 a month for a one bedroom, while the foreigner gets paid slave wages and has 10 people to help them pay their rent.
              Mmmmmmm

              • WillSee says:

                And they shelf packers does not have 10 people helping them?

              • aceboy says:

                10 Bermudaians could easily help each other to rent a place. But there would only be 1 parking spot. WHere are all the sporty cars going to park?

      • Navin Pooty Tang Johnson says:

        Donald is as big a joke as the PLP with a mouth just as large…I will be voting for Hilary and the OBA……

        • The Original Truth™ says:

          So you are willing to vote for liars? I have to give it to Hilary, she does tell a good sniper tale.

          I would rather vote for Bernie.

          I won’t be voting for either party so I hope there’s some good independents running.

          John Barritt should run as an independent. He could do a better job than anyone in either party and has more integrity in his pinky than they have all together.

          • Obser says:

            Socialist Bernie? I truly hope you can not vote in the USA.

  4. Cow Polly says:

    Stand in the road mate, then all the police will do is direct traffic around you

    • Legalgal says:

      Yes police all over this one! Bully boy tactics!

    • Rockfish#1 and#2 says:

      Cow Polly………. hilarious!

  5. Mike Hind says:

    OOP! Someone’s protesting.

    The OBA will now have a referendum about whether he got his pay stubs.

    • The Original Truth™ says:

      Silly Mike don’t you know OBA only has referendums when they want to play pontius pilate? On other occasions referendums are deemed too expensive. Haven’t you learned yet that OBA has their own agenda just as PLP did. When they want an amendment they push it straight through. Just like DREB they feel they have to deceive you.

      • Coffee says:

        Hike Mind doesn’t do politics anymore … Every since the scandal with jetgate , something changed in his keyboard strokes . I mean this is perhaps the only time in many , many post that he has put an O and a B and a A together as a description of anything .

        • Come Correct says:

          This is the first time I can say I’ve see MIKE HIND comment outside of an article on equality based one sexual orientation. Since you seem to be the slow one, and amazingly the quickest sperm to reach the egg, Mike was taking a jab at the OBA’S stance on equality… you helped WiseArs to try and fit the square peg in the round hole, didn’t you, Offeec? That’s pig Latin for the slow one.

        • Mike Hind says:

          I got sick of putting up with stupid, baseless personal attacks from trolls like you. I got sick of being accused of being an OBA supporter and then having to explain to you, over and over, that I wasn’t, then having to put up with you complaining about me repeating myself.
          I got sick of demagoguery and cowards like you who are willing to lie and slander and libel people to promote a political agenda. Especially when I don’t have any skin in that game. Nothing I was saying was making a difference. It wasn’t helping Bermuda. Neither side listens. Neither party gives a crap about me or Bermuda or doing what’s right.

          So I made a decision to only post on one topic. to only post on something that I think I can actually make a difference on. So, that’s what I do.

          I know you’re desperate for me to be something I’m not, because that would make you right about something, one thing, finally. But, as per usual, you aren’t. Sorry to disappoint.

          • Coffee says:

            Yawn….. Still attempting to distance yourself from Craig , the Milkman and Mike the usurper Fayhe I see … Hmmmm

            • hmmm says:

              Coffee…are you still in bed with (to name a few)

              Druggie
              Armed Thuggie
              Brand Muggie
              and Planning Huggie

            • Mike Hind says:

              See, this is what I’m talking about. Outright lies from a pathetic troll hiding under the hood of anonymity. THIS is why I stopped posting. This hecklers veto.
              Not once have I ever been a supporter of a political party in Bermuda, but this lying idiot can push this outright fabrication, based on nothing but the fact that I dared call him on his constant lying about both parties.
              When faced with constant personal attacks like this, I chose to take the route of personal mental health and stopped posting.

              Just to be clear.

              I am not, nor have I ever been, a supporter of either political party. When asked for any evidence of this, “Coffee” will disappear into insane ranting, or just plain disappear, only to show up again pushing the same lies, with no evidence.
              “Coffee”, however, is a very vocal, vehement and blind supporter of the PLP and has a very long history of posting propaganda and outright falsehoods in order to promote a political agenda supporting his party. He has relentlessly trolled myself and others repeatedly in an attempt to silence us and, in my case, succeeded.

              This very thread is a perfect example of how he behaves.

              • Onion Juice says:

                Ya, but you’ve BLASTED P.L.P on a continuous basis and was hush on U.B.P.’s Bull S!@# policies.
                That’s like a white person saying I’m not racist but keeping silent when they see racism !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
                Mmmmmmmm

                • Mike Hind says:

                  Not true at all.

                  You are lying, yet again.

                  This is EXACTLY what I’m talking about.

                  These partisan hacks continually spreading lies and misinformation about people that disagree with their agenda and dare speak out. Yes, I blasted the PLP when I thought they were doing wrong. But I did the same for the OBA, the UBP. I also praised those parties when they did what I thought was right.

                  But trolls like these two can’t have that. It’s party all the way, party can do no wrong, and I, for one, think that’s bad for Bermuda.

                  These two are just mad that they constantly got exposed for the lying party tools that they are.

                  • Coffee says:

                    If Hike Mind wants to stay employed , he’d better to the OBA line . As a local entertainer in the public eye , he remained silent when Micheal the Usurper gave job opportunities to foreigners over Bermudians … Talk about blind support ! You need a seeing eye dog Hike Mind !

                    • aceboy says:

                      Or he could be like you….do anything in your power to get your “poeple” elected in the hopes that a small bone might be thrown to you. Nothing else matters, just that tiny little bone.

      • rhonda says:

        Yes like DREB, the Oba lies and makes no apology….

  6. serengeti says:

    Looks like the police paid more attention to this than they do if two dozen people block off East Broadway.

    • WiseArs says:

      As they should this man was a working tax payer who wasnt getting his pay stubs ; the protesters those are wonderful people defending and protecting our island from slobs like you . Carry on

      • Zevon says:

        He hadn’t been at work for five weeks. It was a waste of police time.

        • The Original Truth™ says:

          Clearly you don’t know the definition of the word alleged. The person who’s word you’re going by “thinks” everyone got their pay stub but knows the particular employee got his. Speculation is a waste of time but I guess you have nothing better to do since I see that you do a lot of that in your posts.

          • Zevon says:

            The police are not supposed to sort out employment disputes. unless he was disturbing traffic or threatening someone, it was a waste of their time. If he wants to take off weeks on end, he should apply to the civil service. He could take 5 weeks off sick, amd still have 6 weeks left to take off in the same year. Plus his proper vacation time. That sounds like a career that might suit him better.

            • observer says:

              the police respond when called, if no offenses have been committed, then they will leave. Thats their jobs, its never a waste of time.

            • The Original Truth™ says:

              “My boss wants to call the police to get my pay stub. If he wants to give me my pay stub now, how come he couldn’t give it to me when I was working here?”

              Once more you are speculating. It seems to be that the employer called the police but I will ask Carlos when I see him instead of ASSuming as you do. Why would Carlos call the police? If the employer did he is the one wasting the police time. Also taking an alleged story for truth about him taking weeks on end off. How do you know that Carlos wasn’t told he was fired or that he didn’t quit? Maybe the person who made the statement about him not being at work didn’t know the whole story so they assumed as you did he just didn’t come to work. “when I was working here?” is past tense.

  7. what? says:

    Im really lost here – what is this about? I honestly just don’t get it? what is so important about the pay stubs?

    • Amazed says:

      Actually very important – regarding deductions and has the insurance company, social insurance, pensions etc been paid for him. without the stubs he can not prove deductions were made.

      • WiseArs says:

        Common sense right! Smh

      • The Original Truth™ says:

        EXACTLY!

        That’s why it should be law that everyone fills out an annual tax form and sends it in with their pay stubs. The government shouldn’t have blind trust in tax payers. We could be losing millions in unpaid taxes because the employer pockets it and fixes their accounts and government would be non the wiser.

        Even though it happens in Bermuda it’s not a good practice to except wages without getting a paystub.

        • Longtail says:

          And we will have a whole new department of civil servants checking pay slips – slips that show that deductions were made, but do NOT show that appropriate payments were in fact made for health insurance, social insurance, whatever. Oh well, another way of employing the unemployable….

          • The Original Truth™ says:

            There already is a department dealing with payroll tax so I don’t see why they can’t add to their duties. People in the private sector take on new duties all the time. Get rid of the inefficiencies if that’s what the issue would be.

            Health insurance & social insurance deductions should be on a payslip also and should be checked as sometimes they are not paid. Workers being denied medical treatment and seniors not having enough in their pension because an employer has pocketed the money is a terrible thing.

    • Pay stubs says:

      Its my understanding that amy employers are taking pension , insurance ect out and are not paying the fees to the nessessary places. So having a pay stub gives the worker a record of what hours they work and what was taken out.Many and I mean a whole lot of companies are not paying what they are taking out and of you have no paystub you have no proof of ever even working !

      • The Original Truth™ says:

        A lot of underhanded stuff gets done. I bet most employers haven’t even read the employment act.

        Every employer is supposed to have employment contracts signed by their full time employees. If the employee is not living up to their contract the employer is supposed to write them up and have the employee sign the notice. Three of these notices and the employer then has the right to fire the employee without redundancy pay. There’s no confusion as to why they were fired because the notices were signed by both parties. Many times employment is terminated without the employee even knowing why which should be brought to the tribunal but isn’t because the employee hasn’t read the act either.

        If employees want to complain about Bermudians then they should go by procedure to gain proof that Bermudians are the way they say they are. Other than that the employer is just stereotyping to have an excuse not to hire a Bermudian. All an employer is saying when they have no documented proof is that they have poor business management skills and would rather hire a foreigner so they can hold their permit over their head as a threat.

        • big lad says:

          All of what you say is absolutely spot on.

          But like many initiatives in Bermuda that are in place to protect all parties, there is very little enforcement to ensure that these practices are carried out.

    • Good Grief says:

      It’s actually illegal to withhold pay stubs.

  8. Swing Voter says:

    would have been better to seek Union advice, doesn’t matter if you are a current member or not. Good luck getting another restaurant position now that you’ve put it all on blast

    • WiseArs says:

      Sometimes its better to take the matter in your own hands Good luck getting a restaurant position man go blow

    • The Original Truth™ says:

      As if the union would do anything for him without membership fees.

    • Good Grief says:

      Hopefully this would be a warning to others. If he doesn’t get hired for this, then the business has something to hide.

  9. Jus' Askin' says:

    “Poor People Fed Up” ( Bounty Killer Voice) :-D

  10. Frank says:

    This is a matter between this gentleman and his past employer.this is not protest of any political issue. Give the man what he is do and let him move on with his life.

  11. LOL (Original TM*) says:

    people’s pay around here does not keep in step with inflation so most Bermudians are just getting poorer cant wait to see when most of us are in jail due to finding less legal means to put food on the table or maybe that’s what they want…

    LOL all above must have great qualification, money flows and are sheltered from any sort of redundancies… must be nice

  12. Y-Gurl says:

    I wonder if the cops handled this protest any better than the East Broadway fiasco

  13. plank says:

    Good my brother is will give you a job anytime.

  14. plank says:

    Good my brother i will give you a job anytime.

  15. Winni says:

    Bermudians can be trained to do jobs. Here is a job posted, lets se who will be applying or let’s actually see who will be taking this position.
    EMPLOYMENT Carole Holding Ltd. is looking for a Retail Accounting and IT Manager with retail experience. The successful applicant must be willing to teach other members of staff. Please send resume to: Carole Holding Ltd. 73 Harbour Road, call 441 535 4000. Good luck to those applying. By the way if you get the job and you run out of accounting work, you can manage the cash register. And make $25/houre.

    • The Original Truth™ says:

      Isn’t Carole Holding Ltd. a souvenir shop? The other day I was in there all I saw was a basic cash register. Why would they need IT management? Sounds like one of those embellished positions

    • Onion Juice says:

      Well we know you wont apply being you cant spell hour.
      LMFAO

      • The Original Truth™ says:

        cant
        /kant/
        verb
        1.
        to talk hypocritically.
        2.
        to speak in the whining tone of a beggar; beg.

        A fitting word for an idiot who lives in a glass house.

        LMAWO!!! :D

  16. Good Tipper says:

    I recognize that guy. Great bartender!

  17. Winni says:

    Hilarious The add didn’t specify to train Bermudians so I guess guest workers can be trained too.

    • The Original Truth™ says:

      There are guest workers who get trained. There’s even times when a local trains them and then the employer sacks the local and keeps the guest worker on.

      • Whimsical says:

        IT DOES HAPPEN although some will continuously say that it doesn’t.

        • Onion Juice says:

          As long as Bermudians allow this act to happen, serves you right.

          • The Original Truth™ says:

            Only Bermudians allowing this to happen are the ones in immigration approving permits without checking that the foreign worker is really qualified.

            The worker training the permit holder has their back against the wall to either train them and run the risk of losing their job to the trainee or to refuse and still lose their job for not training them.

  18. Ann says:

    If what this man was protesting for was real, I agree with him 100%, but the question I must ask if it is true of this company and many others, why is goverment not going after them, hello there is enough payroll tax money out there being owed by companies that would make a little dent in our debt!

    • The Original Truth™ says:

      A parliamentary question was asked about random checks on the 20 permit violations reported. Junior Minister Richards response was, “Due to limited human resources, there have been no random checks by the Compliance Officers of the Department of Immigration”

      This is probably the same sort of response that would be given to your question.

      The PLP are such dimwits they didn’t even make a statement about this answer when Minister Fahy claimed measure had been taken to stop permit violations. Just makes me wonder if the opposition are reading questions someone else wrote for them that they have no understanding of.

  19. Baygrapes says:

    While I am not sure what is going on in this particular instance l would sincerely ask that all employers do the right thing and pay staff a decent wage, honour the laws of Bermuda and pay the health and social insurance deductions as required by law. Accordingly, the employee must also honour his/her side of the bargain and show up on time and do a proper day’s work.

  20. Coffee says:

    For you guy , in your honor , me and mine will dine elsewhere when we could afford to eat out .

    • Zevon says:

      If you avoid all restaurants that don’t pay employees who fail to turn up for weeks on end, you should plan on eating at home. A lot.

    • Sunfish says:

      I can afford to eat out and will be eating there as I have saved for the rainy days unlike you@ coffee! When the PLP were spending stupidly against advice was the cue for people like me to save save save ! And yes,, thank you to the protester and protesters. I now know who not to hire!

      • Coffee says:

        Save it all .. But you’ll never take it with you . I’ll bet the only person you’ve hired in your lifetime is a cab driver !

  21. West End Girl says:

    More to this story obviously. Kudos to you young man, protesting without hindering anyone else’s civil liberties. On another note, Northrock I won’t be patronising your establishment until I hear the whole story and am convinced that this young man has been kept whole. So don’t look for me Friday night.

  22. mmm says:

    It is difficult and expensive to go thru different avenues to get a pay stu b. The worse thing in today,s economy is not having a job, the story says he has not worked in five weeks, so is he on sick leave ? Is he a former em ployee,recently terminated or did he resign ? A pay stub is essential to kn ow the deductions etc, etc. The police attend to virtually all calls from the public, what is common to them is traffic or criminal. Domestic, civil and employment and similar areas they might suggest the person(s) see their respective lawyers. Now a lawyer will start at around $400 per hour. The gentleman,s concern seems to be a pay-stub, there really has to be somethin g else going on. There is a lot of stress out here and the economy is not good thus a multitude of situation s exist or are likely to occur, so I think it good that Government along with helping agencies speak to the public from time to time.

  23. filobedo21 says:

    This gentleman should have been directed to the Labour Department of Government to help him with any complaint about said employer. Out people don’t seem to know anything about anything.