HIRE US

In an interview with Newsday yesterday, Joseph said there were more than enough young men and women in Trinidad and Tobago looking for work.

He was also sympathetic to the foreign nationals brought to Trinidad illegally to work, saying it was ironic that while the country celebrated Emancipation Day yesterday, these Chinese nationals experienced it on a daily basis.

“Here we have migrant workers, being brought here illegally, while we have laws that explain proper hours of work, and the proper minimum wage. Those people that come in illegitimately cannot benefit from these laws, as the people who bring them here are simply looking for a quick profit,” Joseph lamented.

He also believed the police may have stumbled upon a greater human trafficking racket where illegal immigrants are being supplied as contract workers.

Joseph said for an immigrant to be legally requested for work in Trinidad and Tobago the person must have a special area of expertise which no other local worker has and a local understudy must also be hired to build the capacity of the workers locally. However, according to Joseph, there are several cases where the rule is not followed.

“I have seen people working at some places and I ask myself why was someone brought from another country to do such a menial job when we have local people more than equal to the task. This practice is resulting in a lot of people being left unable to provide for their families,” he said.

On Monday, eight Chinese nationals were detained by officers of the Port of Spain City Police and the Immigration Division during an exercise held on Charlotte Street. The police were told there was a group of Chinese workers living in slave-like conditions on Charlotte Street.

None of the workers detained spoke English. The men worked and lived in cramped unfinished rooms with no ventilation and no bathroom facilities. They drank water which contained mosquito larvae, and quite possibly, harmful pathogens.

The eight men were among 20 that were detained during the police raid on Monday.