Jobless survey `too little, too late'
"too little too late.'' Shadow Labour Minister Mrs. Lois Browne Evans said it should have been conducted at the onset of the recession.
"This is just another bit of grandstanding,'' she exclaimed.
National Liberal Party leader Mr. Gilbert Darrell MP, however, was more enthusiastic.
"I think this is good news,'' he said.
The Island-wide survey of unemployed folk or those hunting jobs kicks off this week.
Registration desks will be set up at parish post offices on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
People are asked to go to the post office most convenient to them to register.
Labour Minister the Hon. Irving Pearman said the registration was a follow-up to recently-released unemployment figures.
The 1991 Census report showed some 2,000 people out of work last May.
Mr. Pearman urged the jobless to register, and pleaded with their friends and relatives to encourage them to do so.
"We now want to collect information that will help us determine the current unemployment picture.
"We need to know job categories, age groups, how long people have been unemployed or whether they have temporary or part-time employment.
"This will help us identify the types of jobs required and to determine possible job training and retraining needs.'' On Wednesday staff from the Labour and Home Affairs Ministry, Department of Social Services, and Chamber of Commerce, will be at registration desks in St.
David's, St. George's, Harrington Sound and Crawl, and the Francis Patton School.
The next day they will be in Warwick, Southampton, Somerset, and Mangrove Bay.
And on Friday, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. as on the previous days, they will be in Flatts, Devonshire, and Paget.
In addition they will be at Bishop Spencer School and the Government Employment Office, Hamilton, from 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
Anyone requiring more information is asked to ring 297-7714.
Yesterday Mrs. Browne Evans said the Progressive Labour Party had repeatedly called for a jobless survey -- but had previously been ignored by Government.
"When the recession started and there was mass unemployment then the Government should have gone out and conducted a survey.
"Instead they wanted people to come to them and report to them, which totally goes against the Bermudian psyche.'' Mrs. Browne Evans said unemployment had taken a heavy toll on families -- costing jobs and homes.
It was essential for Government to have prepared contingency plans to deal with it.
"What I want to know is what use the survey will be put to. What we are seeking is action. What is going to be done?'' National Liberal Party leader Mr. Gilbert Darrell said he had been pressing for a survey for a long time.
"You really can't do anything without knowing how many people are unemployed, so it's good to hear something is being done. It's better than nothing.''