The Government has launched a review of employment practices on the island of Grand Bahama with a view to finding out whether Bahamians are getting fair access to opportunities there.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, the Hon. Fred Mitchell explained the need for the review on Monday. He said, “we wanted to be sure that we understood all the issues involved in it and be able to address the concerns of the Grand Bahama community in a way that satisfies all parties.”
The Grand Bahama Shipyard and Carnival’s Celebration Key are among the companies being examined. The government will also look into the hospitality sector where Bahamians believe advancement opportunities are limited.
“The complaint amongst Bahamians is there’s a glass ceiling beyond which Bahamians can’t go. So you can get jobs as waiters or Maître ds in a restaurant in a hotel but beyond that you can’t go,” Mitchell said.
According to the minister, the government is also examining Bahamians’ access to the economic benefits of major companies in Grand Bahama. “It’s not, in any way, designed to be hostile in any fashion, but it is designed for us to understand what is going on and to come to some conclusions about what’s best for the economy of Grand Bahama and the country as a whole.”
The immigration minister also said that while there are concerned from residents the government must consider the needs of businesses in specialized industries. He said, “I don’t know that they circumvent the law. What happens is that, in each case, that an employer applies for a work permit they must get a labour certificate from the Department of Labour. ”
This certificate determines whether the required skill or labour is available locally before a work permit is approved. Mitchell said, “you get a sense from the Department of Labour what the applications are like there. You’ll sit down with the companies and find out what their needs are, demands are, complaints are, specific to their particular sectors and move from there with an appreciation of what the statistical or what the data says about this so that you’re making informed decisions and not guess work.”
