Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/4289/-1/135/
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Chief Minister: RELEASED DR WORKERS TO BE RE-EMPLOYED Hughes Calls For OECS Labour For Anguilla
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There has been much talk in Anguilla over the past several days following the laying off of 53 Dominican Republic construction workers who have been employed on the Temenos-St. Regis Retreat and Golf Club project. They were released from their jobs on Friday, January 19, as a number of Chinese nationals took up employment there.
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CM Fleming
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The next day they crowded the South Hill residential premises of Opposition Member Hubert Hughes, who is known to have dealt in the past with immigration problems affecting early members of the Spanish community arriving in Anguilla. “That’s how I became involved in the matter of the dismissed workers,” Mr. Hughes, who called for and held meetings with the Labour Office and Government on Monday, January 22, told The Anguillian.
The Spanish-speaking workers waited outside the Labour Office on the premises of the James Ronald Webster Building as the talks were being held at the Chief Minister’s Office with a delegation led by Mr. Juan Thomas and Mr. Hughes. The meeting, at which Chief Minister and Minister of Labour the Hon. Osbourne Fleming presided, also included other Government officials and three senior managers from Flag Luxury Properties – Messrs Fritz Smith, Tony Scatliffe and Rosmund Davis. (A press release which covers the details of the discussions and agreements is published elsewhere in this issue of The Anguillian.)
According to the release, matters discussed included the work permit and immigration status of the workers; concerns about lack of technical skills and competence; fixed price sub-contracts for Anguillian and Caribbean labour; an opportunity for Juan Thomas to negotiate, at fixed prices, for additional construction workers from among the released employees by Friday, January 26) and it was also decided that those workers not selected by sub-contractors should return to the Dominican Republic. The Government announced in the release that strict guidelines would be issued shortly on the employment of workers from outside Anguilla and the terms of their engagement.
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Dominican Republic construction workers outside the Labour Office
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Following that release, Chief Minister Fleming said later in a Radio Anguilla interview on Monday evening that all 53 workers from the Dominican Republic would be re-employed. “We [the Government] have decided over the next three or four days to look at the entire situation and re-employ these workers shortly,” he stated.
Mr. Fleming went on: “There comes a time when projects will come to an end…We have made it clear that if anybody is to be laid off, that Anguillians must be the last to go. I can’t over-emphasise that commitment. Our first charge is for the people of Anguilla and at the same time we will still consider nationals from the Caribbean including Santo Domingo. They are our brothers and we will do whatever is necessary and all we can for them.”
Meanwhile, Opposition Member, Hubert Hughes, called on the Anguilla Government to preserve its integrity and sovereignty and not to apologise to any developer. “The Government should talk to the OECS Labour Ministers about the supply of labour for Anguilla,” he suggested. “They [the Government] should also talk to the requisite authorities in St. Maarten because I understand there is a lot of slack in the construction field over there now. The Government should tell Viceroy and Flag we cannot alter our culture by bringing in mass immigrants from Southeast Asia or Mexico.”
Mr. Hughes was told that, according to the Chief Minister, the Anguilla Government had agreed with the developers to bring in 400 Indian workers and 250 Chinese nationals to work on the projects for three reasons: insufficient Anguillian labour, the need for the projects to finish on time and for young Anguillians to find employment.
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Hon. Hubert Hughes
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“I think Government is supposed only to be a regulator,” he replied. “Government has no right to be facilitating a project as far as time factors are concerned. Anguillians are working in a construction industry that is not providing hotel jobs. So that argument does not stand up. When the construction phase of a project is over, much less Anguillians will be employed.
“Anguillians are Anguillians whether they work in an office or on a construction site. If you provide 10 office jobs and put 400 construction workers out of work, it is not good for the society and not good for the economy. Workers are workers.”
Mr. Hughes claimed that the Indians and Chinese workers were being brought to Anguilla to provide “cheap labour” while there was a disinterest in hiring Caribbean nationals including Dominican Republic workers who, like their Anguillian counterparts, were working for the same higher wages.
“My next step is to get an open debate in the community,” the outspoken Opposition Parliamentarian said.
Asked whether he saw the labour situation in Anguilla requiring a trade union to represent workers, Mr. Hughes replied: “I have always preached the idea of a union in Anguilla… but Anguillians are too slavish and cheap.”