CGI wants urgent discussions on 'skills drain' facing local businesses
The representative group for industry in Guernsey needs an urgent meeting with Home Affairs to discuss concerns about the island's population laws.
The Confederation of Guernsey Industry has consistently taken on Home Affairs about the laws over the past few years.
Despite States insistence about flexibility, the CGi argues that they have made it much harder to recruit and retain staff.
Member firms are particularly concerned about being unable to retain staff on short-term permits, even if they have immigration rights to remain in the island.
It contacted Home Affairs president Rob Prow directly over the weekend.
‘It is clear to us and also worrying that Home Affairs appears to not be close enough to local businesses to understand the difficulties they are facing, so we would like our members to sit down with Deputy Prow so these concerns can be spelt out,' said Dave Newman, chairman of the CGi.
‘The amendments to the new law, introduced in April of this year, are creating a "skills drain", leaving businesses chronically short of trained and experienced staff.
'So, rather than improving the situation, the changes are making the situation worse.’
Deputy Prow said he was happy to meet with CGi.
'We fully appreciate that employers need to be able to secure the staff they need, which is why the States Assembly agreed far-reaching changes to the island’s population and immigration policies to enable businesses to access a global pool of workers from which to recruit,’ he said.
He has his committee also appreciated that employers needed support to secure the staff they required to operate.
‘However, we must equally balance that economic need with ensuring there are residency restrictions in place for those on short-term employment permits.
‘If these were not in place, the current challenges the island faces with housing, for example, would be exacerbated alongside the additional pressures on essential services.’
Deputy Prow said his committee was keen to learn more from the CGi.
‘We are always willing to look at issues and adapt if there is evidence that it’s needed.
'For example, we are currently actively looking at adapting the policy whereby staff arriving to the island must prove they have two years relevant experience in the role they’re arriving to do,’ he said.
