BIU berates rogue employers

Bermudian workers are being stereotyped as lazy by rogue employers who prefer to hire foreigners.

That’s the view of union boss Chris Furbert, who believes the bad reputation of some Bermudians is causing many honest workers to be “tarred with the same brush”.

He said the exploitation of foreigners — coerced into working long hours for low pay — was also contributing to a growing unemployment crisis.

The Bermuda Industrial Union president backed Immigration Minister Col. David Burch’s tough stance on work permits in the construction and landscaping trades.

He said certain companies had been “flying under the radar” for years and the recession was now exposing them to greater scrutiny.

Mr. Furbert also believes the island’s wage structure needs to be looked at amid fears that some firms are offering “slave wages” to deter Bermudian applicants.

He stopped short of backing a national minimum wage but said it could be an option, if a reasonable figure could be agreed upon.

Mr. Furbert believes Bermudian jobs need to be protected as the realities of the economic crisis start to bite.

Construction work has dwindled across the country over the past year and many firms are looking to make cutbacks.

The Union has fielded numerous complaints from workers who say that when it is time for lay-offs it is Bermudian workers that are first to go.

“One of the reasons we are hearing consistently is this perception that Bermudians are lazy. That’s a wrong perception.

“Some may have challenges but you can’t turn that perception on every Bermudian. In general they make time, they do their work.

“I don’t condone people not having a good work ethic. But one size doesn’t fit all. We have a few who fall down but we need to make sure those people stand up and are prepared to do an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.”

In some cases, he said, firms were paying more money, through housing and permit fees, to recruit guest workers. But he urged them to show more faith in Bermudian workers and invest more in apprenticeships and on-the-job training instead of going overseas.

The BIU has also seen a steady increase in foreign workers coming forward with complaints about how they are treated.

“Mostly it is about low pay and long hours. Sometimes they are working 60-hour weeks and not getting any overtime pay. That is exploitation.”

He said overseas workers could be more easily persuaded to perform tasks that were outside of their contracted duties or accept extra hours without extra pay.

“The work permit can be hung over their head and it is wrong,” he added.

Unrealistically low wages is another factor keeping Bermudians out of some professions.

“No Bermudian can accept a job for five or six dollars an hour, I don’t know how employers are allowed to get away with that. It is almost slave labour.”

He said set wage guidelines for different professions could be a potential solution.

“I would suggest we sit down with Government and have an earnest conversation about how workers are being disadvantaged in terms of wages.

“If we decide a minimum wage is the right way to go that could be an option.

 “I think the challenge for a minimum wage is how do you set it for a country like Bermuda with a robust economy and a high cost of living?

“We wouldn’t want anyone to take advantage of it.

“Employers could say – ‘that’s the minimum wage, I’m not paying a dollar more than that’.

“Maybe if we can come up with a reasonable figure than we can talk.”

Mr. Furbert said most Bermudian firms were fair employers who wanted to give islanders a chance.

But he said 10-15 per cent had been flying under the radar and he backed Minister Burch’s crackdown on those companies.

“The union has been out there in the forefront saying this for years — find employers that are in violation of the law, penalize them and the rest will fall into line.

“They are now going to going to know the minister and the Immigration department are serious.

“We are in a recession and we need to make sure that Bermudians who want to work can work.”