In November and December 2021, I wrote two commentaries with concerns regarding Anguilla’s labour market. I voiced matters such as work permits issued to Nationals from other countries, as well as the employment, training and promotion of local residents to fill management and supervisory positions that are oftentimes given to overseas applicants.
What I am hearing spoken about in the Anguilla community, since the beginning of this new year, makes me sense that we are spiralling downward instead of rising up to higher heights. Friends and acquaintances have been sharing news of Anguillians/Locals who have been passed over, or terminated, and replaced with non-nationals who are predominantly white without knowledge of our unique hospitality culture.
I was told of Locals placed as Managers and Supervisors who are not supporting locally-engaged staffs with training and advancement opportunities. In addition to these two areas of concern, there is a third aspect. That has to do with locally hired persons not being interested in doing a professional job nor advancing themselves. It is baffling that we are still addressing these issues in 2022 and have not yet overcome them.
One thing for certain, that I have experienced myself, is the prejudice amongst our own kind. I am speaking specifically of persons who have African ancestry. We have this heartless habit of not supporting one another in our endeavours. There seem to be a huge amount of animosity, envy and jealousy that seem genetically ingrained in our cultural lineage. It runs deeper than the after effects of generations of enslavement imposed on tribes.
In other ethnic groups, I observe how people support each other, give encouragement, promote efforts of their kith and kin, work together to advance the whole – be they relatives, neighbours, community or whomever. Why cannot everyone behave similarly?
This is not a paradoxical dilemma associated only within our small island community of Anguilla, nor does it extend merely within other countries of the Caribbean region. It is something that occurs in the United States of America as well as in Africa and globally across many communities and nations.
We have got to change, shift and transform how we view ourselves and all multi-hued peoples of brown, mocha, chocolate, coffee, tan, cream, caramel, milk and various skin tone shades. Because if we do not, we will continue to be like crabs in a barrel fighting each other, pushing persons down and doing whatever we can to get ahead or above everyone else.
I have seen how people operate and it is quite disconcerting. In fact, I have given up on seeking any kind of employment and freelance assignments in Anguilla because of this crabby, dishonest and deceitful mentality that I find various individuals exhibiting. At this evolved stage in my life, I do not want to be bothered with another person’s ‘none-sense’.
It makes no sense for any of us to be envious of anyone. We are all born with our own extraordinary and gifted talents. Each one of us has a destiny and path to follow. When will we learn to support one another, express loving kindness, have compassion for someone else’s circumstances, inspire ourselves to reach for the stars? That is a question which I contemplate almost daily.
We are disillusioned with hearing the excuses or reasons individuals give for why things are the way they are. For instance, I listened to part of the Government of Anguilla’s press conference last week and heard words spoken by the Honourable Minister of Home Affairs. The following words paraphrase what the Minister said: Employees must contact the GOA Labour Department whenever they have work-related problems.
I did exactly that years ago when I was wrongfully terminated from a job. Yet, I didn’t get any positive results which satisfactorily addressed the dispute. Are we confident that GOA will improve labour relations that will benefit employees?
We are aware of the nepotism and favouritism that play a role in who is hired, who is fired, and who gets positions whether in the private sector employment, serving on boards, etc. For all we know when government officials are approving work permits, they might possibly be in cahoots with the employers and owners of Anguilla’s hotel and tourism businesses or other organisations.
As souls in human forms, it’s essential we see God in everyone and treat all equally.
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Kay M Ferguson is a contributing columnist who uses a nom de plume, The Empress Extraordinaire. Her words encourage us to explore who we are, evolve as human-beings and transform our world. Link with Kay at anguillawriter@gmail.com.
