The discussion continues about the labor practices engaged by Cinnamon 88 the local company set-up to construct the Clearwater Development led by Barbadian and British businessman Michael Pemberton. Here is the lengthy Press Release issued by Michael Pemberton yesterday in response to Sir Roy’s public statement that locals were applying for jobs on the project and there is no current need to import Chinese labor.
(Thanks to the source for the information)
OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL MIS-STATEMENTS OF FACT AND SOME MISINFORMATION IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN ABOUT THE LABOUR REQUIREMENTS AND PROCESSES GOVERNING THE RECRUITMENT OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL LABOUR FOR THE FOUR SEASONS HOTEL AND RESIDENCES AT PARADISE.
CINNAMON 88 , THE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY OF THIS PROJECT THEREFORE WISH TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CLEAR THE AIR. STARTING YESTERDAY WITH A STATEMENT BY THE GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE BARBADOS WORKER’S UNION, SIR ROY TROTMAN. FIRSTLY, ONLY THIRTY (36) APPLICATIONS WERE RECEIVED YESTERDAY AND NOT SEVENTY (70) AS ALLEDGED BY SIR ROY. ALL OF THESE WERE NEW APPLICATIONS. NO ONE WHO APPLIED PREVIOUSLY REAPPLIED YESTERDAY.
FURTHER, THE COMPANY CATEGORICALLY DENIES THAT ANY APPLICANTS WERE REQUIRED TO PRODUCE CERTIFICATES AS PROOF OF THEIR SKILL. WE HAVE STATED BEFORE ALL INTERVIEWS ARE CONDUCTED IN THE PRESENCE OF AN OFFICER FROM THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO ENSURE TRANSPARENCY IN THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS. FROM THE INCEPTION OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS IN MID-JUNE A TOTAL OF 200 APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. OF THESE EIGHTY-TWO (82) PEOPLE WERE INTERVIEWED WITH A FURTHER SIXTY-THREE (63) INTERVIEWS SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK. FIFTY-FIVE (55) APPLICANTS WERE NOT SHORT-LISTED FOR INTERVIEWS FOR VARIOUS REASONS. FROM THE INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THE APPLICATION FORMS, THIRTY EIGHT (38) COULD NOT PROVIDE ANY PROOF THAT THEY HAD A LEGAL RIGHT TO ENGAGE IN EMPLOYMENT, SEVEN (7) PROVIDED NO CONTACT INFORMATION, SIX (6) COULD NOT BE CONTACTED ON THE TELEPHONE NUMBERS SUPPLIED AND THE REMAINING FOUR (4) WERE NOT SHORTLISTED. ONE OF THESE FOUR ADMITTED TO REPEATED ABSENTEEISM AS THE REASON FOR LOSING HIS PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT AND THE OTHER QUIT HIS JOB BECAUSE THE WORK SITE IN CHRIST CHURCH WAS TOO FAR FROM HIS ST. MICHAEL HOME. FORTY-SEVEN (47) PEOPLE, SO FAR, HAVE BEEN PROMISED EMPLOYMENT ONCE THE PROJECT STARTS. CINNAMON 88 WISHES TO RE-ITERATE THAT IT ISNOT ANTI-LOCAL OR ANTI-REGIONAL LABOUR.
OUR EXPERIENCE SUGGESTS THAT ONCE THE PROJECT STARTS WE WILL RECEIVE MANY MORE APPLICATIONS. RIGHT NOW NO ONE IS WORKING BECAUSE THE PROJECT CANNOT MAKE A VIABLE START WITH THE CURRENT LABOUR FORCE AVAILABLE, INCLUDING THE WORK PERMITS GRANTED TO FORTY (40) CHINESE ARTISANS. RECRUITMENT OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL LABOUR WILL CONTINUE AS THE PROJECT PROCEEDS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LABOUR DEMANDS, WHICH AT ITS PEAK IS EXPECTED TO REACH SOME EIGHT HUNDRED (800). CINNAMON 88 WISHES TO ASSURE SIR ROY THAT WE WOULD WELCOME ANY INTERVENTION BY HIM ON BEHALF OF ANY APPLICANT WHO HAS NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL WHICH WILL BE INVESTIGATED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.
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