DESPITE A 'balancing' policy for overseas workers, Jamaicans will still be granted work permits to the Cayman Islands, a government official there said
this week.
According to David Ritch, chairman of Cayman's Work Permits Board, 25 per cent (about 11,500) of the three-island nation's total population of about 45,000 are Jamaicans with work permits. The total expatriate workforce is approximately 23,000.
Although the large number of Jamaican workers goes against the 'balancing' policy, intended to prevent domination by foreign cultures, Mr. Ritch said it was not "a hard and fast rule" and that there was no truth to reports in the Cayman media that that country was attempting to reduce the number of Jamaican workers on the island.
"Jamaicans will not be asked to pack their bags," he told The Gleaner Wednesday. He said companies were being encouraged to employ different nationalities only when vacancies arose and not to replace existing workers.
RENEWALS SUBJECT TO POLICY
However renewals of temporary permits are treated as new applications and would be subject to the 'balancing' policy.
"As recently as yesterday the board dealt with 120 applications for grants and 100 for renewals and I can assure that Jamaicans were more than adequately represented in terms of approvals," he said.
Mr. Ritch said certain factors such as Jamaica's proximity and historic good relations would always ensure a large number of Jamaicans in the workforce.
He said, for instance, that there was no encouragement to employ non-Jamaican domestic workers.
