THE EDITOR Sir,
IT WAS with some amount of interest that I read the article in The Gleaner re newer stricter measures coming for the issuance of work permits for foreign nationals. I am one of perhaps the lesser number of Jamaicans who have the 'privilege' of working with foreign nationals. I am employed in the bauxite industry where a number of these foreigners are employed. I have had good experiences with some and really bad experiences with others.
What I would like the government of Jamaica to do via the Ministry of Labour is to educate the public as to the guidelines they use to determine who gets work permits and what establishes the period of time they are given for. Are documents presented by these people properly queried and
verified?
And on the other side of the coin does anyone bother to visit the establishments where these people are employed and actually speak to workers and ascertain how they are treated by these people? What kind of interaction is there between parties? I know for a fact that some of these
persons are racist bigots, they hate black people and some of them believe that because we are poor we must endure all manner of unseemly treatment.
I believe strongly that before permits are renewed field officers should be deployed into organisations where they can ascertain for themselves what workers think and how they view the actions of these people. Don't just take the word of some manager or the other that workers get along well with these people and that organisations can't function without them. Don't we have people here who are qualified and at times can do a better job than these people are doing?
I am, etc.,
CONCERNED EMPLOYEE
May Pen, Clarendon
