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Businesses told to brace for surprise inspections by Labour

Labour Minister Vincent Wheatley.

Labour Minister Vincent Wheatley has said money has been set aside in the 2021 budget for his ministry to carry out inspections at workplaces across the territory to ensure businesses owners are operating within the law.

Minister Wheatley said surprise visits will also be among these inspections as the government seeks to identify those business owners who continue to defy the local labour laws and mete out unfair treatment to workers.

“Until we get in there — the workplace looking over their shoulders — they will never do better. So I’m glad we now have money in there (the budget) to go do what we have to do. And sometimes there will be surprise inspections too, we’ll just show up. So you better be on your P’s and Q’s at all times because you won’t know when we are coming. So keep your house in order,” Minister Wheatley warned.

He continued: “People always do what’s inspected and not what’s expected. So we have to start inspecting our workplaces to make sure they are operating the way they are supposed to. Persons are doing a lot of foolishness. There are some companies that are model companies — they’re doing every single thing you expect them to do. And then, you have a set over there, they make you wonder sometimes about the human species. How could humans treat other human beings like that? As if they are objects,” Wheatley lamented.

He added that these inspections will be possible because the Immigration & Labour Ministry is in the process of digitising a number of its processes, thereby allowing members of the public to do business without personal contact with staff.

This will give the staff more time to carry out inspections at businesses places across the territory.

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24 Comments

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  1. Right says:

    Vicenzio and his threats again.

    V** Gestapo

    Like 14
    Dislike 7
    • Hmmm says:

      It is not the trust companies, law forms and charter companies that are not paying SS, NHI, Payroll tax, minimum wage etc. will the inspections include local construction companies and related businesses – especially those with day labourers?

      Like 29
    • Doh says:

      Another example of the socialist state taking over. Government intervention in the name of enforcement.

      Carry on

      Like 1
      Dislike 2
  2. Dumb policies says:

    You can also simply start by checking if all companies paid up social security and NHI and fine them for not doing so (or are too many of your voter friends involved in withholding contributions)

    Would take an individual about 2 days to setup an excel file with some formulas to have the non payers listed.

    Like 45
    Dislike 1
    • @Dumb says:

      I totally agree with you. The cronies are the ones not paying and they will never be inspected. A computer list would never be generated either. It exposes the friends and family that do as they wish with no regard to laws. They are essentially human traffickers who need some real life prison time.

      Like 26
  3. Hmm says:

    Immigration may have to do similar inspections to find illegal workers and people working outside the limits of their work permit.

    Like 28
    Dislike 2
  4. Poor mentality says:

    I am happy I don’t work with the same people as Vincy does.

    “ People always do what’s inspected and not what’s expected.”

    Most people actually do what’s expected. The people that excel in life do more than what’s expected.

    That Vince is minister of labour and doesn’t understand this is highly disappointing.

    Like 8
    Dislike 5
  5. Please says:

    Just speak to NHI, they are aware of the huge number of people that cannot get their certificate of good standing as employers have failed to pay the contributions even though they deduct from employee pay. They are making the employee suffer when they should be going after the employers, this is fraud.

    Like 31
  6. Agree with this says:

    Many illegal workers still in workplaces.

    Like 9
    Dislike 2
  7. Really? says:

    It’s not a surprise if you let them know about the surprise…I guess they giving people a chance to present themselves properly then.

    Like 5
    Dislike 2
  8. WOW says:

    This is a good thing.

    Like 5
    Dislike 3
  9. One Term Govt says:

    Vincent are you going to inspect the billionaires and millionaires you kiss ? up to? This guy gets hype up for the small business and poor man but he bows down to his rich friends. Leopard ? never changes it spot.

    Like 19
    Dislike 4
  10. FACTS says:

    This Government is doing much better in this crisis than the last government.

    Like 4
    Dislike 19
  11. Nope says:

    I THINK VINCENT WAS GIVEN THE WRONG PORTFOLIO. SEEMS LIKE HE IS INCAPABLE OR MAYBE IT IS TO MUCH FOR HIM.SEEMS LIKE HE IS GIVEN CERTAIN BUSINESS OWNERS A HEADS UP IN THE EVENT IF THEY GET A INSPECTION EVERYTHING WILL LOOK GOOD.

    Like 5
    Dislike 2
  12. Quiet Warrior says:

    If they are surprise inspections, not routine inspections, why advertise them?

  13. Security Firms says:

    Inspect security firms who cause their employees to work 11 hours standing up straight every day and sometimes 8 and 9 days straight cant sit down with only 30 mins lunch and 2 15 min breaks in between and you cant use your cellphone on your break. One security firm have they security officers working 12noon hours everyday..no day off and no over time pay…Allegedly.

    Like 5
    Dislike 1
  14. Choops says:

    The hypocrisy. Y’all care so much about employees but put measures in place to penalize said employees whose employers make deductions from salaries but fail to pay said deductions to the government. Guess y’all care about the non work permit holders only.

  15. Yup says:

    Expat-Owned Businesses told to brace for surprise inspections by Labour

    There, fixed it for you

    Like 15
    Dislike 1
  16. Start at Home says:

    The great lady has her people working 6 days straight with no days off. Workers afraid to speak because of her affliction.

    • Agree says:

      Ohhhhh, you see the injustice here. They will never tell her a thing. The slave labor tactics continue with the evil. They are plain out evil. That “great” lady but this is exactly what happens when you own politicians. Time longer than twine.

  17. Bvi says:

    What you need to do is investigate the wicked employers that are taking out money on employees pay and don’t pay any social security, NHI or tax
    But instead ayo send ppl home who payments is not update which is the employees fault
    Ayo is a set of wicked and bad minded ppl in the bvi
    Or should I say in the entire world

    Like 2
    Dislike 1
  18. Anne says:

    People with work permit working,And people how don’t have to get work permit not working,This need to f fixed

    • Hmm says:

      Soo if someone with a workpermit working with a business you want them to fired that person and hire a person who does not require a permit? You really bright. Why dont the person who do not need a permit apply for the job before it was hiven to an expat?? You see lots of expats working for little salary and are happy with that non permit holders dont want this cheap paying jobs now it might be a job that the workers have to do all year round no matter what natural disaster or pandenic so now you vex they are working and your high paying job giving u less working hrs.

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