Labour Minister Urges Public To Be On The Alert For Job Scammers

Labour and Social Security Minister, Hon. Derrick Kellier, is again warning the public to be aware of unscrupulous persons who are collecting money with the promise of job placement overseas.

Minister Kellier said these persons are “promising jobs where none exists and where they have no connection to put anybody in any job anywhere.”

He said the scammers have no approved registration with the Ministry and, as such, are operating illegally.

“No one must hand over their passport to anybody outside of an approved agent or unless they are dealing directly with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, to seek any form of employment overseas. Check with us before to see if (a) company is licensed to operate, to make sure that you do not give away your money and allow people to fleece you of your hard earned cash,” the Minister warned.

He urged the public to report these unscrupulous persons so that appropriate action can be taken.

Minister Kellier was speaking on August 8 during a meeting with representatives of Caribbean Airlines to formalise agreements between the airline and the Ministry for the transportation of Jamaican farm workers to the United States of America and Canada.

In addressing the airline, Minister Kellier pointed out that service is critical to the survival of any business and that employers in North America want to know that when they make a request for workers, the Ministry can deliver. “We have to make sure that we get our workers there on time and in good shape,” he said.

He thanked Caribbean Airlines for its service, noting that without its service, “we would not be able to find enough air transport to take our people abroad and to get the numbers that we currently have in North America.”

The Minister informed that, currently, there are about 11,000 persons employed in the overseas work programme in the US and Canada.

He also noted that the Ministry is working with the Canadian Government, through its High Commission, to iron out challenges relating to the issuance of visas for overseas workers. Mr. Kellier explained that, at times, workers either receive visas late or applications are declined. This, he said, has an impact on the airline as well as the employers who are expecting the workers. “We have no control locally over that problem. It is something between the Canadian Government and their local embassy here,” he said.

He noted, however, that the Ministry will work with the Canadians “to work out some of the kinks in the system” in an effort to minimise the impact.