BVI News

They’re trying to make slaves out of our people

Alvera Maduro-Caines

Sixth District Representative Alvera Maduro-Caines has bemoaned what she said is selfish behaviour being exhibited by many residents as the BVI continues to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maduro-Caines said some employers have cut salaries in half, but still expect employees to do a full day’s work.

“They’re taking this COVID pandemic and making slaves out of our people,” Maduro-Caines said.

“Then you have some employers who are taking out the Social Security money that was paid to the employees. That money does not belong to the employers. That is wrong. They are not supposed to do that. Social Security is giving some of them a little pittance to catch up … and you as the employer taking out what you know Social Security gives them?

You cannot take our people and make them slaves because of COVID. Our forefathers fought for many years to get from where we were to now and I know they’ll be turning in their graves to see some of what is happening now,” Maduro-Caines said. 

Some landlords selfish

The legislator, who crossed the political floor this year to join the governing Virgin Islands Party, also said some landlords are “cold, greedy and heartless” because they show no mercy to tenants who are facing difficulty paying their rent.

“I know of one young man who has lived at a premises for over 20 years. He’s being affected by COVID, ran into some difficulties and can’t pay his rent on time. He’s being asked to vacate the premises. Now that’s what I call evil,” Maduro-Caines said.

Pay your rent

At the same time, she is urging tenants to make efforts to pay their rent.

“Tennants if you are working, pay your landlord, pay your rent. You have no excuse. If you’re working half salary, speak to your landlord … organise some sort of payment structure with your landlord. There are some who will work with you, now there are others who I would call evil and selfish.

Maduro-Caines said she believes COVID-19 has impacted the BVI worse than the two 2017 hurricanes which devastated the territory.

“We’ve been through Irma and Maria but to me people were more open-minded, giving and understanding, but something about this … I often say only the Lord can help us now going through this,” she said.

 

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29 Comments

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  1. Limejuice says:

    The people who are making us “Slaves” are all BVIslanders.
    In the yimes of the Ancesters, people lived by different values….Love thy neibour as thy self” Which set of values belong in our much vaunted BVI Cultural Values? … Lets try to not be hypocits shall we? I think we’d all love and enjoy our baeutiful Territory more as a result.. One Love BVIfor ALL

    Like 27
    Dislike 9
    • Sour Grapes says:

      Where was her hypocrisy?

      • Slaves!!!! says:

        For goodness sake does this politician have no idea what slavery was – reducing a persons salary, but not firing them, is not slavery. It beggars belief that a politician could be so ignorant even if she thinks it gives her a cheap headline.

        Like 14
        Dislike 2
    • How says:

      How about your party fully opening up the Territory do people can earn proper salaries, companies will have business so they can pay salaries. Just like a Belonger the first word that comes out of their mouth is “slaves”. We’ll get real. You haven’t experienced slavery and it’s been many many generations since that dark time in history. Get over it and move on. Open the Territory and stop crying and making excuses.

      Like 18
      Dislike 1
  2. Guest says:

    Don’t forget the Trust companies that now don’t want to pay overtime but expect and demanding you work until 12 in the night from home, or telling you since you can’t leave the island you must work from home even when you on vacation leave……

    Like 5
    Dislike 5
  3. Irma worst says:

    There is no pandemic,covid is a fraud I’ve seen real flu pass trough this place already way more dangerous than covid 19.

    Like 8
    Dislike 20
  4. Tola says:

    Yes the landlord them to greedy and for them self.

    Like 2
    Dislike 6
  5. Labour & Immigration is the Problem. says:

    Labour & immigration Just need to do their Job…I am a belonger. I have been home for 5 months, The business partially open but I can’t even get a day work… Yet people doing the same Job as me on Work permi, getting 4 – 5 days a week…. Why Can’t they try to give everyone at lease two days, atlease enough to buy food. This Issue is a labour and immigration Dept Issue, Polititians bèen talking about this for yrs, yet nothing get done…..The solution is, they need to find out from these employers who home and who working, who has status and who don’t, they may lie, or give all kind of eccuses, but there is no way, no fairness, people doing the same Job with the same company some getting 4 n 5 days and the others cant get atlease 2 days…

    Like 8
    Dislike 12
    • Good says:

      The island have failed in developing it Human Resources and as a result there is allot of person working with work permit performing simple tasks that the locals should be able to do.

      Like 12
      Dislike 4
  6. OWNER says:

    MS CAINES SHUT YIYR NOUTH UP PEOPLE NEED THEIR MONEY THEY HAVE BILLS TO PAY AND THEYGOT TO EAT. SO WHT LANDLORDS ALWAYS HAVE TO BE LIEANT WITH TENNANTS WHEN THEY CANNOT GET THEIR MONEY, THE PEOPLE MASHING UP THINGS IN PEOPLE HOUSE AND IT GOT TO GET FIX. THEN THEY DONOT WANT TO PAY BILLS BUT THEY CAN HAVE BIG PARTY SHOP BIG BUY CLOTHES SHOES AMD BAGS GO HAIRDRESSER BUY BIG FOOD AMD LAMDLOTDS HAS TO WAIT AND SOME TIMES DONOT DWT THEM MONEY. MS CAINES YOU C***Y SOME TENNANTS UDING THEIR MONEY AND TELLING THE LAND LORD LIES WELL YOU MIGHT SOON FIND SOME OUT ON THE STREET BECAUSE LAND LORD THEM TIRED WITH THIS AND WHEN THEY GO TALKING THEY DO NOT SAY WHAT THEY DO IT IS ALWAYS THE LAND LORD WRONG SO MS CAINES TRY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO PAY THEIR RENT

    Like 11
    Dislike 10
  7. Half Story says:

    Good Honourable Lady, the laws that you and your colleagues passed in the House are causing difficulty too. I had a tenant who is up to date with her rent and because a new work permit is in for her, she was asked to leave until the new work permit come through.

    I am a single mother, unemployed, no rental income as of 1st October, no telling how long my apartment will be on the market.

    That is what will happen when the pros and cons relating to a policy/law is not weighted out with wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

    May God be with us all.

    Like 26
    Dislike 1
  8. Rubber Duck says:

    Why is no action taken against employers who have stolen the the tax and social security contributions of their employees ?
    I know of one case where contributions were taken from employees but not paid over to the government for 17 years. Nothing was done but now his employees are being thrown off the island because their contributions have not been paid.

    The employer has of course a well known BVI name, similar to members of government and their running dogs.

    Like 13
  9. Hon. C says:

    You always refering to Landlords, at one time you said if you had the money you will build apartment and rent them cheap. Well do like the Landlords who took the initiative and get a bank loan to build then you will find out how cheap you can rent them for. Most Landlords struggling too. You act as if you have no knowledge of business. I do not believe that you realy think that Landlords have hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to build without owing the back.

    Like 13
    Dislike 2
  10. Mad Max says:

    If only she was in a position to do something about it instead of just running her mouth …

    Come with facts! Then deal with the cases. And why is everything about slavery – this is not slavery and you are cheapening the word.

  11. Smh says:

    Da Goverment is wha gah we like slaves rite now??‍♂️??‍♂️??‍♂️

    Like 7
    Dislike 1
  12. Earl says:

    Maybe the money you wasted on the stupid Baughers bay wall and fence could’ve be used to now help people!

  13. Penalize them! says:

    Its worse than that Hon. Maduro-Caines! What about the businesses having staff working full hours and not paying them ANYTHING… not $10. Threatening them with losing their work permits and status?!? This behavior is disgusting and the government should be working on a system that holds these people accountable. S******s Da****e in Lower Estate… we are looking at you!

  14. Anonymous says:

    Pathetic!

  15. LOL says:

    Clueless!!! TOTALLY CLUELESS! The country is falling apart daily and this is the nonsense that they coming to HOA with.

  16. Hmmmm says:

    An even worse wheatley still espect us to pay full NHI and Social security frm d little hav pay dat wr getting so so non of u are different frm d employer

  17. Snoppy says:

    “I know of one young man who has lived at a premises for over 20 years…”

    lol – really!! ‘Young’ and he live there for over 20 years – so he is probably in his early 40’s.

    This woman’s perception of ‘young’ needs to be questioned…

  18. Hmm says:

    Alvera, go home please.
    Nobody wants to hear you. You are a flip flopper and can’t be t*****d.

  19. APARTNEBT says:

    I am nit saying that people does not fall in to problems some time but some renters are no good and telling lies they have al kind of escuse the landlord bear with them and up to now they cannot pay. I know of a couple who got evectided in the middle of the night because they continue to lie to the lamd lord and to had were thrown out,land lords bearing their burdens to but i donot give them wrong yes put them out because if teh rlandlord talk to them they should have listen. They went to rent another house and they told the land lord all types of lies about their former land lord but not knowing that they were talking to the brother of the landlord who put them out so they had to hunt some place else but i understand they cannnot do what they dud before because the land lord does be in front of their doors on the last day of the month and they cannot enter unless they pay their rent. So senator you see what land lords face. People need to pay their rent and i also was told where land lords had to carry law men to get out tennants who would not pay their rent and put out people who were sleeping in their apartment with out the land lord knowledge. Tennanys stop carriining people in the people house to sleep with out permission you all out of place and so you know that you can det sue for that you sgin a lease

  20. Peace says:

    Apartnedt I think you r real stupid if I’m renting from you paying my rent why Is it your business who I bring in my place. Full of sh–.you really is a waist of brain space. People have right please remember that.lot of you like to rent house with attachment. So when they c other people coming it becomes a problem. Was dating this young lady one morning the landlord came she was in the shower. So I open the door.he said what am I doing in is house. I asked him what you just say .he didn’t rent me no place.just had to laugh. Then I ask him I didn’t tell anyone that I’m renting you

  21. OWNER says:

    CAPMES WHAT DOES SLAVE TO DO WITH SOME ONE IN PEOPLE APARTMENT LPPK TALK TO TENNANTS THEU SHIN A LEASE DO NOT BRING PEOPLE IN PEOPLE PLACE TO SLEEP OY OS AGAINST THE LAW. THE LANDLORD HAS THE RIGHT AND THEY CAN SUE THE TENNANT FOR NOT OBEYING THEIR RULES. YHE LAND LORDS NEED TO RAISE TGEIR RENT TO A FIGURE WHICH THEY CANNOT PAY SO THAT THEY WILL GIND SOME PLACE TO GO. TENANTS UPUR REGIN WILL DOOM BE OBER IF YOY DONOT LISTRN THEN THE PUBLIC WILL REALLY KNOW WHAT GOING ON WITH APARTMENTS TENNANYS ANMD LAND LORDS.

  22. You know what says:

    You know what in the bvi employers can do you whatever they want cause money talks right, i once worked a place and was tired of the injustice so i simply resign, they try to set me up several times an tanished my name to make me look bad, all because i was ready to leave wow, i did things the right way and it still was bad my worst experience ever!

  23. My Home says:

    Right now, the Government is to blame! Running out country out ego & no experience or wisdom! Sad!

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