Fahie wants telecom workforce investigated

A call has been made for an investigation to be conducted amid claims that some telecom companies have been importing workers with the same skill-set as some jobless locals.

Leader of the Opposition Andrew Fahie, who raised the issue in the House of Assembly on Tuesday, said the discovery was made during a survey he conducted.

“I was doing a survey of all the companies and looking to see the technicians… When you look at it, some of these companies, they are actually bringing in people to do the technical work, and we have people here sitting down who can do those very technical work,” Fahie lamented.

He did not disclose the names of the companies he suspects to be in breach.

However, Fahie noted that more than 90 percent of persons employed at the locally owned telecom provider CCT are locals.

“We have enough trained technical persons in this territory in telecom – no mind what they telling us. They can get these jobs done, but persons are being allowed to come in here on work permits whether short or extended work permits. So the industry must be brought up to task.”

“So I am asking that the Chairman of the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission and the Chief Executive Officer to start to look into these matters with the Department of Labour. I am getting a lot of complaints about this,” Fahie further said.

He also indicated that telecom companies should do more to train local workers.

“If you are in it so long and you haven’t trained enough persons from wherever you are operating from to take over, that means you don’t have the territory’s best interest at heart. It also is not a good reflection on corporate BVI in that industry,” added Fahie.