Labour minister Kenneth Hodge has revoked several work permits during his tenure due to disrespectful behaviour shown to Anguillian staff, he revealed this week.
“We have always made it clear, and I continue to reiterate, that a work permit is a privilege, it is not a right,” he said during a government press conference on 3 February.
Hodge explained that work permits are granted to foreign workers when there is a deficit or lack of a skill set in Anguilla.
“We grant a permit to allow the business to function, but there is understanding that is only for a time,” he said.
“When these persons come in, there’s an understanding that they must treat their Anguillian counterparts with respect – be cordial.”
He said Anguillian workers must also show respect in return, emphasising the importance of mutual professionalism, adding: “It can’t be a one way street.”
Hodge told attendees that there have been instances when relationships have broken down which led to work permit holders throwing objects at local staff and using indecent language.
“Those become automatic grounds for those permits to be revoked. Those are things that I have not tolerated, I will not tolerate,” he said.
The labour minister stressed that if the work permit holder is in charge of a worker who is doing something untoward, they have the right to recourse through the human resources manager.
“There are mechanisms to deal with workers who are misbehaving,” he said.
Hodge said he has revoked four work permits in the past and also ensured that “quite a number” that have not been renewed when they expired.
