‘Time to get tough on work permits’ – Bahamas Tribune

LABOUR Director John Pinder.

By Khrisna Russell

krussell@tribunemedia.net

DEPARTMENT of Labour Director John Pinder wants employers work permits revoked if they fail to appoint and properly train apprentices as part of their succession planning.

The move, Mr Pinder told The Tribune yesterday, would give the department teeth and earn it more respect in the eyes of employers who have not ensured Bahamian employees are trained for certain jobs He said it had been the departments intention to have this stipulation enforced by this month. However, now it could be longer before the rule can be officially enforced, with Mr Pinder saying there needed to be further discussions with the Department of Immigration to ensure labour officials have a functioning plan.

His department has to also make amendments to application forms to accommodate a breakdown of apprentice training guidelines.

The departments special projects unit is handling the process, he said.

We have met cases where persons say that I didnt know they were the understudy, but on the application form their name is listed, Mr Pinder said yesterday when asked about enforcing the rule this month. He was also asked how the department intended to protect employees from retribution once they are interviewed by officials about employers training practices.

If the employer tries to victimise the employee for giving us the correct information or tries to terminate them for that we will always have some sort of conciliation regarding that dismissal or wrongful dismissal, so there are things in the law that can protect that individual.

In addition to that we will then review the application form for labour certificates when it comes back to us and in consultation with the Department of Immigration well have to do this so immigration and us are on the same page with this and immigration will also tell us what is expected of us so that at the end of the day when we give a labour certificate immigration is satisfied that we did do the necessary due.

He also said: Simultaneously we just want to have that relationship with immigration for instance when the employer is not doing what it should be, (but) I think once immigration (is involved) with the authority to revoke the permit I think we would get more respect and it will have more teeth.

Asked to clarify if the intention was to ensure work permits were revoked for noncompliance, Mr Pinder said; Actually, yes, thats our intention now.

So what we are doing now is once we think what we are doing is something workable, we will then sit with immigration to get guidance from them to ensure that it can work.

As far as a timeline is concerned, Mr Pinder said on his end the framework is just about complete.

However there needed to be further engagement.

After this its just engaging immigration to review what we got to see if its workable. Then after that it has to go to the permanent secretary and the minister so it may take a little bit more time but the minister is aware of what we are doing. The permanent secretary is aware so its just a matter of them putting their blessing on it.

Last year, Mr Pinder said labour certificates, which confirm there are no qualified Bahamians willing or able to take a particular job, will only be issued to companies that provide evidence they have identified a Bahamian understudy who will be trained to replace the expatriate worker once their work permit has expired.

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'Time to get tough on work permits' - Bahamas Tribune