By Leonardo Blair, Staff ReporterSCORES OF Jamaicans seeking information on jobs in the Cayman Islands flooded the offices of The Gleaner, The British High Commission and Cayman Airways with calls yesterday to find out how fast they could get jobs in the hurricane ravaged country.
But 'not so fast,' said one Cayman official.
The calls came in response to a report in The Gleaner yesterday in which the head of the Government Information Ser-vice (GIS) in Cayman, Patricia Ebanks, said Cayman wants workers to assist in the recovery process after many of its workers fled the island in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan.
Many of the callers wanted details of how soon they could go to Cayman but according to Joan Scott-Campbell of the (GIS), although the country needs workers, first preference will be given to those persons currently holding a valid Caymanian work permit.
She explained that while Cayman had relaxed work permit regulations to allow easier recruitment of workers by employers to speed-up the recovery process, the immediate benefit will be to work permit holders and their spouses who fled the island before and after Hurricane Ivan.
"At the moment the immigration policy is only allowing returning residents, Caymanians and work permit holders without dependents in the country," said Mrs. Scott-Campbell.
The official said that while there is definitely a need for construction workers, it is up to the individual employers who must make the request for overseas workers to come into the island.
"The Government has only made it easier to accommodate these workers," said Mrs. Scott-Campbell.
With the severe conditions now in that country, "there is no official call yet. Perhaps at a later date," Mrs. Scott-Campbell said.
