Vexed Bermoothes

Politics comments on the email doing the rounds from Lt Col Burch which manages, true to form, to be both reasonable/conciliatory and off-putting at the same time.  But at least he’s asking.

Dear Bermudian Worker in International Business, I have heard from every alphabet group in this country who purport to represent you and your industry and they have indicated to me that Work Permit Term Limits signal the death knell of international business in Bermuda. They have always cited that this will negatively affect Bermudians in the industry and so I want to hear from you.

Indeed, “the alphabet groups” have repeatedly raised concerns about term limits.  For an industry that lives on “human capital” it is not possible to arbitrarily “write off” valuable employees every six years to comply with the term limits decree.  Rather, the companies will rotate them to another office … often taking their support jobs with them … and over time diluting that employer’s commitment to Bermuda.

A few points:

• The “alphabet groups” do not purport to represent the employees.  They represent the employers, who are surely able to comment accurately on their HR intentions.  Lt. Colonel Burch’s email implies that he does not believe them, which is fairly insulting.
• At the same time, Bermuda’s professional class tend to keep their noses out of politics … and are not given a platform to speak about their needs.  They have no “alphabet group” so they should wholeheartedly grasp this opportunity to speak out.  This must not be a soapbox for bitching;  it is an opportunity to clearly state what our Government must do to protect our jobs.  At the same time, there must be no environment of intimidation or recrimination surrounding the meeting.
• It is disingenuous for Government to claim confusion over the movement of jobs out of Bermuda.  The trend is clear and widely covered in the media, and even shown in Government’s own stats.  Indeed Dr. Brown has been right of the midst of it with his vacuous MOU with Nova Scotia which, along with Ireland and Switzerland, is a happy beneficiary of Bermuda’s policies.
• I look forward to the inevitable fight over who is Bermudian enough to have a voice at this meeting.

I believe that term limits are very dangerous, particularly combined with all the other mixed messages sent by this Government towards international business.

While Bermuda is raising taxes, these other jurisdictions are cherry picking jobs from us through tax incentives for Bermuda companies to locate or expand their operations.  Our BIBA is essentially just a marketing hack, while their business development groups have the power to put real inducements on the table.

Yes, these international companies have a responsibility (and self interest) to develop and promote Bermudians.  But this will not be accomplished through blandishments and bullying.  Rather Government needs to do its part to ensure more Bermudians receive top quality education.  How about giving tax rollbacks for companies that sponsor scholarships or international internships for Bermudians?  How about taking the steps to ensure that the “C” and middle classes of management stay in Bermuda … with the accompanying trickle down throughout our community.