The Ministry of Labour would like to take the opportunity to highlight and commemorate International Workers Day, aka May Day, which is celebrated worldwide on May 1st. Today is a day dedicated to workers and labourers across the world and is also called the International Day of Workers. 

Many will celebrate this day by marching and conducting protest and strikes in which they raise their voice to aware the workers of their rights so that no one can exploit them. As you will guess, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the celebrations around the world will look a little different this year. 

As Minister of Labour and a former union leader, I am always honoured to raise awareness to this day and pay tribute to Bermuda’s dedicated workers and labourers. Today, however, I am especially honoured as I do this in the middle of a pandemic. The importance of our workers has been magnified as many have continued to serve this community as essential workers throughout the last year. Once again, when the community was told to go home and stay indoors, our essential workers continued working—ensuring we all had the goods and services we needed to survive. 

I also take this opportunity to note this government’s relentless and unwavering support for the workers and employees of the Bermuda community. In this regard, the Ministry of Labour has ensured numerous initiatives designed to protect employees, including Amendment of the Employment Act and Modernisation of the Labour Laws to Produce the Labour Code; the provision of Social Protections for workers through the provision of over $60m in benefits to assist those displaced from the workforce; the repositioning the Department of Financial Assistance to get individuals off financial assistance; and the strengthening education, training, and employment services to help individuals secure employment. Additionally, we are currently working to establish an Unemployment Insurance Program, a statutory minimum wage, a national living wage, and extending the Moratorium on Work Permits.

On this day, it is worth repeating the efforts being taken by the Ministry’s Department of Workforce Development to assist in the reemployment of Bermudians through the National Re-employment Strategy. 

To equip job seekers with cutting edge job search support, the Department recently partnered with Performance Solutions, Clarendon Wallace and The British School of Etiquette, Bermuda, to offer several career and professional development webinars.  The sessions covered a range of topics, including:

• Navigating the New Norm of Job Hunting;
• Mastering Interview Etiquette Skills;
• Key Skills for a Post-COVID World;
• Tips for Success in a Remote Working Environment; and,
• Managing your Career and Professional Development.   

These webinars can be accessed by emailing dwdlearning@gov.bm.

Further, Workforce Development is collaborating with Performance Solutions to hold additional webinars in May, again at no cost to the public. These webinars include:

Members of the public requiring services or assistance with the Bermuda Job Board or registering for the many free virtual learning, training and development webinars that will help enhance their training, career development and employment opportunities may contact the Department at 297-7714 or via email at dwd@gov.bm. 

The Department of Workforce Development has also offered the college and university employment programme and many other programmes that help individuals achieve success. We encourage unemployed Bermudians to take advantage of the opportunity to retrain, retool and re-engage in the workforce. 

In closing, I want to reassure the Bermuda community that the Ministry of Labour remains committed to its mission to support economic development and increase jobs for Bermudians and, with this at the forefront, we will continue to leverage every opportunity to develop policies and programmes that are aligned with this mission. 

Again, Happy May Day to all the workers in Bermuda. We thank you for your dedication, commitment, and service to the people of Bermuda.