BVI News

Only one Labour Inspector for Tortola

Acting Labour Commissioner Michelle McLean has revealed that there is only one Labour Inspector to service the island of Tortola.

Speaking during a recent virtual stakeholders meeting to address concerns at the Labour Department, McLean said the sister island of Virgin Gorda also had only one inspector assigned to that island as well.

McLean‘s statement came after a question from a stakeholder about when labour investigations will resume.

The resident alleged that many employers get away with many things that are not in line with the Labour Code.

During the meeting, Labour Minister Vincent Wheatley said if the department does not inspect what is happening persons will not do what is expected of them.

“We have to move away from the department being a work permit processing unit and more into a workforce development unit and that’s why the online thing was so important for us to get that right,” Minister Wheatley said.

He added that once the department could get the processing of permits streamlined, then it can move into the inspection of businesses.

Among the various revelations that came to the fore during the stakeholders meeting was that McLean was the only officer designated for the approval of all new work permit applications within the department.

McLean related that work permit renewals were being handled by another senior labour officer that is her subordinate.

Only in instances where she or the other officer is not present, she said other staff will then handle these applications or renewals in her absence.

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12 Comments

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  1. Hmmm says:

    What about, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke and Salt Island. How many do you have for them?

    Like 2
    Dislike 3
  2. Irony says:

    The irony of this is that they can provide employers with lists of prospective locals to hire, trying to force them on you but they themselves are short-staffed but won’t hire the people that they are trying to force on other businesses.

    Like 40
  3. Anonymous says:

    There has been one labour assigned to Tortola for years. This is not new information.

    Like 11
  4. Not new says:

    There has been only one labour inspector for years. This is not new information.

  5. Hand and chesse says:

    Labor inspectors are ridiculous, they are to impede the different companies and know the worker-employer relations and then submit reports to their superiors. Normally they are not desk workers, how is it possible to have a single inspector, then Tortola you have a single company

  6. Hand and chesse says:

    Labor inspectors are ridiculous, they are to inspect the different companies and know the worker-employer relations and then submit reports to their superiors. Normally they are not desk workers, how is it possible to have a single inspector, then Tortola you have a single company

  7. Mad Max says:

    Are they fully occupied? How many inspections have they carried out in the last 12 months? How many should they have carried out?

  8. .... says:

    send repost a number Im looking a job and im local how about Labour Department hiring me to assist

  9. Anonymous says:

    Need a job hire local

    • But... says:

      Need someone who wants to work everyday, hire expat….

      Like 1
      Dislike 3
      • Hard working BVIslander says:

        You appear envious of those drug boys/men, because you drag us all into your envious little brain. How many murderers are there in your country, but we do not call all of you murderers. You sound very ignorant.

        Nobody is stopping you from going to join them.

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