New government wastes no time in tackling Immigration/Labour Issues - Viceroy Hotel found with 8 illegal workers

(The Valley, Anguilla) - After having to sit on the sidelines and watch Anguilla undergo an amazing metamorphosis in its labour force through the increased use of imported workers under the former administration, the new AUM government has wasted no time in going directly at the sector.

In a release from the Ministry of Labour this week, it was revealed that an inspection of Viceroy Hotel found that eight persons were employed by the company without the requisite permits. Seven of these were Americans and one was a Mexican.

No indication was given in the release as to how long these individuals had been working on the island illegally.

The release read “while in this instance the workers were allowed to leave the island without sanction to either them or Viceroy Hotel, this will not be the case in the future as the Ministry of Labour will ensure that any company flaunting Anguilla’s labour laws will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law” – a clear indication of the shift in policy that accompanies the change in government.

In keeping with the laws of Anguilla the government appears determined to enforce The Control of Employment Act which  is designed to ensure that Anguillians get fair consideration for jobs in Anguilla (Anguillians first) and that institutions do not outsource employment opportunities that can be done by Anguillians.

Along the same line, the following release was also issued:

The Department of Labour is continuing with its campaign to enhance its employment, manpower and employment service function which looks at the recruitment and placement of Anguillians in the labour market.

All Anguillians who are unemployed are invited to visit the Department of Labour to fill out the Unemployment Registration Form. As job vacancies become available in the labour market, the Department would like to have at its disposal information on potential employees as required.

The Department is also advising the general public that plans are on hand to develop a national skills bank. The computerized database will list the skills sets of the island’s labour force.  The initiative will help the Department of Labour to identify gaps in the skill sets of the labour force and to make informed decisions on national planning in forecasting the needs of the labour market.

Persons are therefore being requested to submit to the Department, copies of their curriculum vitae to assist with the development of this initiative.

The Labour Commissioner is also encouraging persons applying for jobs to send a copy of their application and resume to the Department of Labour. By doing such the Department will be able to keep track of their job seeking process and to intervene as required. There is an assumption that jobs being advertised are already earmarked for certain individuals.  However, it is incumbent on all nationals to apply for any vacant position in the public and private sectors.  It is the policy of the Department and Ministry of Labour that suitably qualified Anguillians should be the preferred employee for any vacant position (Anguillians first).