This letter is to highlight an issue that is occurring on the small island of Barbuda, and no one seems to care.
I am a born Antiguan living in Barbuda for almost a year and a supporter of a government that is wrapped tightly around PLH fingers.
I was employed by a local Antiguan contractor who was contracted by an overseas company based at PHL in Barbuda.
Approximately three months ago, the local company was let go, which caused me and several other locals to be out of a job, and unable to support our families while the same US company is importing Mexican and Belizean workers who are working without work permits and not paying the necessary tax deductions.
Just a few days ago, I heard the Hon. Gaston Browne give an eloquent speech on the national TV station, boasting about PHL providing employment for locals.
Prime Minister, what you need to look into is all the incompetent Mexicans and Belizeans PHL bringing into the country to replace your local people who are way better, all because of cheap labor.
The impression PHL and the government giving the people of Antigua and Barbuda is that PHL is so for the locals, but little by little, the locals are getting pushed out.
John
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Here we go again,if someone was REPLACED is because some factors and if the people working for the company is not hired individually from the main company,mean,it was because THE EMPLOYEES and not the owner of that company, underperformed.
Is sad to know people lost their income but,in the scenario you are working for somebody else please,remember working with ethic and discipline because you never know who is looking at you.
The question is how can PLH (Peace, Love, Harmony), 🙂🤪🙂🥰 my foot, import Mexicans and Belizeans into Barbuda without work permits? If true, this had to be authorized from high up which would be no great surprise. What a joke, what a farce this country has become.
Why should this come as a surprise to anyone? Right here in Antigua, there is an abundance of Phillipinos working here, displacing Antiguans. This has absolutely nothing to do with underperforming as intimated by @Inquire. There were all kinds of controversy surrounding the work permits for these Phillipinos, with Cutie Benjamin right in the heart of it.
Who knows what the DAWG had agreed to with PLH? He is yet to explain the 12 million he got from them.
The condition of the country is a reflection the leadership.
You folks better get a handle on such situations lest you end up like the u.s. There are an estimated 20 million illegals currently in the u.s., over 300 languages spoken, our major cities are so bad even people here from Venezuela find NYC repulsive and they leave for Canada.
A man was just killed in california because he was jewish and was showing support for Israel.
Gaston Browne ABLP Administration and others in the private sector even UPP hierarchy are all supporting APARTHEID disguised as Tourism.
What does the author mean by “incompetent Mexicans?” Mexicans are some of the best builders in the world. There are pyramids in Egypt and also in Mexico. People have always questioned how the pyramids in Egypt were built. But never question those in Mexico because when it comes to hard work and building…Manuel Labor was born in Mexico. Here in New York, Mexicans are on every building site. 4 feet tall and strong like oxs 🐂. They put their heads down, keep their mouth shut, and work for penny’s. And the job they do is always well done.
John the writer is a tiny-puny fragment in the collateral damage being inflicted on innocent and naive in Antigua and Barbuda. He wrote of what you heard Gaston Browne saying. I hope you have now learned you lesson.
Lots of others have loss their job. Some sub-sub contractors have told their employees to recently to park the vehicles for for they have not gotten paid in 12 weeks.
Sources have informed whispered: the principal of Discovery Land Company seems to have some financial challenges stemming from a kind of Donald Trump maneuver.
Its unfortunate that only when individuals such as the writer is faced with a hardship that they recognize the true political implications.
Here are some facts:
There are several contractors working at PLH now rebranded Barbuda Ocean Club (BOC) whose developer/owner is …..
These so called Antiguan Contractors are subcontractors of another subcontractor. So they are Sub of a Sub.
Many of the subcontractors are implants that are referred to as ex-patriots … who have now branded themselves as Antiguans.
One such ex-patriot who is now well established in Antigua going back to the days of Vere Bird and the Airport fiasco; has built numerous hotel projects in Antigua with Belizian labor and Mexican labor exclusively.
Interestingly, the labor pool at BOC is from the entire Caribbean: The West, The Central and The Eastern Caribbean. Yes there are Belizians and Mexican working at BOC on Barbuda they are the Western Caribbean contingent. Many among them ae not new to Antigua and Barbuda. These people work 6 days a week. Soon they will make their way out to spend the holidays with their family. Want to see their work take a look at Sugar Ridge.
How many paid holidays Antiguan and Barbudans are entitles too? Resulting Lost of production, higher higher labour costs.. and a slip in schedule.
That’s among the reasons why no permit is required or issued. Like the worker who lost his job, any immigration officer who turns up a BOC gate to check work permits will be out of a job just like the writer
Nothing worse than when someone talks about “A” and some people in the comments start defending “Z”. Time holds all accountable.
Well while you are Antiguan, BARBUDANS have made it difficult for Antiguans to do anything in Barbuda so if someone else comes in and “takes over” I don’t care.
We should do what, bow down to you Johnny just comes that only just recently, like your puppet master appeared in Barbuda Columbus
Our government needs to let these investors know that all these duty free concessions are for the employment and empowerment of our people. Antiguans & Barbudans first and our CARICUM National next and then they can go further afield. We have enough skilled labour in CARICUM. Then when the projects are completed same.
The Mexicans that were brought here to build the housing project at north sound are all over the place working. Taking bread out of our contractors mouth, doing small Job- sidewalk, walkway etc.
As Antiguans we have to stand up together, support each other.
Look If world Boss believe he is the best thing since slice bread as a country leader. Then why not the rest of us and our children with BA’s, MA’s and Doctorates. I just cannot understand why we have to import a comptroller of customs from India. After 46 years of independence and we cannot produce a comptroller of customs?????? I don’t have anything against the gentleman. It’s not personal, it’s about our people controlling our own destiny. So how is Randy Baltimore a Custom office iunfit to run customs but want to run Antigua. Something is wrong somewhere.
It’s like the only people can run anything are the politicians. In addition to their ministers- radio stations, Farms, water plants, heavy duty equipment, real estates, bakery, supermarkets, hotels, Resturant, construction business, Cruise vessels, schools, sporting consultants etc etc. So they can run everything and the rest of Antigua are dunces. Give me a BILL.
@Ruud Van Nistlerooy
Interesting observation about Mexicans.
Here is the history and current situation. Organization such as Harlem Fight Back whose membership consisted of many Antiguans, and the Black and Puerto Rican Coalition which was formed by Eugene Paul from Pointe St Johns city West (?), fought the NYC Construction Unions to be able to get work on unionized construction job sites. Many Antiguans arrived in New York City as skilled tradesmen, and experienced racial discriminated by the construction trade unions which were run by the Irish and the Italians under Mob influence.
For Caribbean people membership in the trade unions during the 60s and 70s was rear
Through confrontation street fights, threats and a Federal lawsuit by Harlem Fight Back, supported by the Black and PR Coalitions restrictive memberships were granted to Blacks and PR by the unions.
During the 50s through the 90s the choice jobs for Caribbean males who migrated to the New York City Metro area, was a construction job with a union outfit. As Blacks became members of the construction unions the void they left on home improvements and renovation projects were filled by Latin American illegal immigrant mostly Mexican.
Not only are Caribbean unionized construction workers retiring, but young Caribbean males are choosing other careers.
The Mexicans and other Latin American construction workers have moved up the food chain. On many non-union jobs they work 6 days per week like on Barbuda; and they produce.
Many are highly skilled working on the most prestigious projects like Hudson Yards. They are now the backbone of the Construction Trades Union making from $32.00 per hour up to $55.00 per hour.
For overtime and on weekends its double time baby. Plus benefit which includes annuity.
This is not to justify foreign labor in Barbuda.
While Gaston Brown sells his glowing numbers on GDP; persons like the writer of this letter is being displaced by the fundamentals of FDI which always seek out lowest cost labor.
the “shock” will be difficult to absorb.
How did those workers get into Barbuda? Were they brought directly into Barbuda or through Antigua? In my opinion,Antiguans and Barbudans must get first preferences in all things.After all it is our darn Country.You the people living there should not allow that bull-chit to happen.End it now,once and for all.
Antiguans are always complaining about other people coming into their country to work, but they themselves are in other people country working. And to be talking down on Mexicans and belizeans is just off putting. Antiguans have this way about them always talking bad about people from other countries. It’s not right. Y’all need to be more welcoming to people. You never know when you might need to flee from Antigua and take refuge in Mexico or Belize.
@Yarrow: There are immigration and labor laws that must be followed in every damn country. Did those people go through the proper procedures to enter into Antigua and Barbuda.Perhaps you would find yourself in Mexico and or Belize.I do not believed too many Antiguans and Barbudans would find themselves in that situation.
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