Hundreds to be denied work permit renewals

More than 300 applications for work permits will be turned down in a three-month suspension imposed by Government to ensure unemployed Bermudians get first shot at positions.

Redundancies

Those include renewal applications for foreigners currently working in Bermuda, meaning many will have to return to their homelands, creating a slew of job vacancies.

Kim Wilson, Minister for the Economy, Trade and Industry, said the move is in the best interests of Bermudians who had faced redundancies due to the recession.

The policy affects landscape gardeners, cleaners, kitchen and bar porters, housekeepers and skilled labourers.

Ms Wilson told the Bermuda Sun that renewal applications to be refused included 83 cleaners, 60 kitchen porters or dishwashers and 182 construction workers.

She said the employers will be referred to the Department of Labour and Training to seek suitably qualified Bermudian applicants.

Applications for permits in those professions had been on hold since former minister Colonel Burch announced a clampdown in August.

Ms Wilson is expanding on that policy and will be refusing all applications in those categories.

Announcing the initiative yesterday, she said the moratorium would be in place for a minimum of three months.

Priority

She added: “All permit submissions in the landscape gardener, cleaners, kitchen and bar porters, housekeepers and skilled labour categories that have been on hold and all future submissions will be denied until we are satisfied that Bermudians are being given first priority in being considered for available positions in those areas.

“Simply put, the number of redundancies is growing and the objective of the moratorium is to secure employment opportunities for Bermudians in a declining job market.”

She expects criticism for the decision but said: “Even the staunchest critics will agree that it cannot be business as usual and employers have a greater responsibility to ensure that Bermudians are put back to work.”

Ms Wilson urged Bermudians who had lost jobs to register with the Department of Labour and Training to apply for jobs in the categories affected by the new policy.