Employment for Canarians only?

[fifi]

Island Connections article.

President resurrects 'Canarians only' employment debate
Regional president Paulino Rivero has reignited the controversy over the need for restrictions on employing people from outside the islands with comments on his personal blog at the week-end.



Canary Islands - 12.11.2012 - In a message entitled 'Jobs: for locals only', Rivero criticised the Spanish government's failure to consider special measures to alleviate the high unemployment rate in the islands. 'I said at the time that the labour market reforms passed by the PP government would worsen the situation and I have been proven right. We intend to push ahead with our plans to reserve jobs for those living here. There are formulas for doing this and it is the way forward, so let's do it' argued the president in his detailed analysis of the economic situation here.

[glenys]

Isn't this what they're trying to do in the UK. British jobs for British people? When unemployment is so high people try to protect heir own.

[Paddster]

Nothing wrong with that.................

[RVEEE]

Nothing wrong with that.................

................. except for EEC legislation.

[magic999]

It will be very interesting to watch "Canarian only" staff running a Chinese or Indian restaurant or an Irish bar

Just a thought

[SheilaW]

Before everyone jumps on the "racism" band-wagon, he's saying (at least it's been quoted here) that it's jobs "for locals" he wants i.e. "restrictions on employing people from outside the islands" and he intends "to push ahead with our plans to reserve jobs for those living here".

I don't see anywhere that he says it has anything to do with where you're born or the colour of your skin or anything anti-EU. Mind you, he's a politician so I don't believe half of it anyway. 

[magic999]

Hi Sheila

I was not trying to push any racist buttons - I was only trying to highlight the fact that a multi-cultural society like the Canaries cannot exclude all other cultures and survive

But if one looks at the proposal and take it a bit further then you have a policy that could imply no Toyota cars, no German Mercedes cars, no Australian Fosters lager, no Japanese electronics and TVs etc etc etc

Perhaps I am wrong, but I believe that I heard that only Canarians can vote in Canarian "national" elections and "foreign" residents can only vote in local elections?

If that is correct then that is a bad policy - if you legitimately live in and are part of a community then you should be able to have an equal say in the way that that community is run

Best wishes

[SheilaW]

if one looks at the proposal and take it a bit further then you have a policy that could imply no Toyota cars, no German Mercedes cars, no Australian Fosters lager, no Japanese electronics and TVs etc etc etc

I don't know, but I had the impression they were only trying to prevent companies who do business from here shipping in their workforce, whether from the mainland or other countries. E.g. if the oil drilling goes ahead, people living locally should get first choice of jobs (whatever their nationality, if they're registered unemployed they should have priority).

Perhaps I am wrong, but I believe that I heard that only Canarians can vote in Canarian "national" elections and "foreign" residents can only vote in local elections?

If that is correct then that is a bad policy - if you legitimately live in and are part of a community then you should be able to have an equal say in the way that that community is run

I quite agree, but that's the same all over the EU, AFAIK. I didn't have a vote in anything but European and local elections when I lived in Holland, nor in France. I gave up my UK voting rights when I left in 1993 and I'm rather fed up that nobody's given me a say in anything important since. I rather thought it was the same in the UK, no?

Sorry, wasn't meaning to imply that you were being racist, I just didn't want it to go that way. I've only lived here for six months but I must say I've experienced remarkably little racism from the 'locals', many of whom are no more Canarian than I am. In fact, the real Canarians (who can trace their families back here) see the Peninsula folk as foreigners, too. All we have to do to be accepted is learn the language and be respectful of the culture - those are important, not surprisingly.

[magic999]

Hi Sheila

Many thanks for the reply - and I agree with your post

What a shame that people like us who had wanted to move down to the Canaries and to invest in, and to be involved in and support the local community and the way of life are now put off by what appears to be a protectionist attitude by the local government

Like you - we think that the local people and community are great - its the perception of the attitudes of the local government who seem to see us as stupid people to "rip off" that is giving us the problem

[fifi]

Paulino Riveros blog is here.... http://paulinorivero.com/2012/11/11/el-empleo-para-la-gente-de-aqui if anyone wants to follow the comments....or ask the President any questions.

[growers]

In January 2011 we spent sometime as advisors/helpers on a bio finca in Los Silos Tenerife, in return for room and board. They have had this sort of set up for years with people from all over Europe. I think we were one of the last people able to do this as shortly after our return the govenment but a stop to this and they now employ only people from the island.   

[cllrcollins]

""I don't know, but I had the impression they were only trying to prevent companies who do business from here shipping in their workforce, whether from the mainland or other countries. E.g. if the oil drilling goes ahead, people living locally should get first choice of jobs (whatever their nationality, if they're registered unemployed they should have priority)""

This article suggests that very few jobs will go to the locals if/when drilling goes ahead.

http://www.worldcrunch.com/tech-science/canary-islands-up-in-arms-as-oil-drilling-looms-off-scenic-shores/oil-environment-spain-fuerteventura/c4s10096/