THE States Assembly has given partial support for proposed reforms to the Island’s work permit system in the last debate of this term of office.
Deputy Beatriz Porée asked her fellow politicians to support a review into the feasibility of issuing work permits in the employee’s name instead of their employer and for Jersey to adopt the internationally recognised “employer pays” principle, prohibiting the charging of recruitment fees to migrant workers.
Deputy Porée described migrant workers as “the cogs that keep the wheels turning” for many businesses in Jersey, doing jobs that native Islanders would not step forward to do.
The representative for St Helier South became emotional as she recounted the personal experience of one individual; the ending was “too upsetting” for her to include it, she added.
Home Affairs Minister Mary Le Hegarat said she could not support the second part of the proposition over the employer pays principle because there was already a review into modern day slavery taking place, and this should be allowed to conclude.
Deputy Raluca Kovacs criticised Deputy Le Hegarat over her department’s change-of-mind after working with Deputy Porée over an amendment to the proposition.
“If we can’t even commit to a roadmap to fix a system we know is broken, when will we ever choose fairness over fear?” she asked.
Social Security Minister Lyndsay Feltham disagreed with her Home Affairs counterpart, saying that she would vote for both parts of the proposition, in order, she said, “to send a clear message about where the Assembly sets the moral bar for employer behaviour”.
Deputy Barbara Ward said she believed it was wrong that migrant workers have contributions for long-term care deducted from their wages even though it would realistically never be possible to extract any benefit from this.
The proposal covered a review by ministers over the feasibility of issuing permits in the employee’s name, keeping strict immigration controls, visa checks and limits to specific sectors such as hospitality, agriculture and construction. Workers would still need a confirmed job offer before arriving in Jersey.
A vote on the proposed review was carried by 44 votes to zero, however the second vote, regarding examining the employer pays principle, finished in a 22-22 tie, meaning that this part was lost under the regulation that propositions require a majority to be successful.
