ETC gives clients a professional service

I refer to the article ‘New group hopes to reverse degrading migrants’ treatment’ (The Sunday Times, July 15).

Addey Boyo-Obanuwama claims that the treatment received in searching for employment through the Employment and Training Corporation was “degrading”.

ETC’s Employment Licences Unit personnel strive to give clients, whatever their origin, a professional and courteous service. The statement that the process is degrading is far from the truth.  ETC’s personnel go to great lengths to explain the application process, and this is also evidenced by the numerous letters of praise that the unit receives from people who make use of this service.

The article also claims that there have been companies willing to employ Ms Boyo-Obanuwama “but they were put off by long delays in the ETC processing their requests for an employment licence”.  The application for an employment licence has a lead time of four to six weeks as a number of checks between various departments and entities have to be carried out in order to ensure that the principle of community preference has been observed, and to obtain security clearance.

European Union member states are obliged to consider requests for admission to their territories for the purpose of employment only where vacancies in a member state cannot be filled by national and community personnel or by non-community personnel resident on a permanent basis in that member state and already forming part of that member state’s regular labour market.

Therefore before admitting a third country worker, member states require proof that no person who is already part of the domestic labour market can fill the vacancy concerned.

It is also pertinent to note that in the case of Ms Boyo-Obanuwama the ETC did its utmost to offer her and her husband assistance. However, to date, in spite of the assurance given to Ms Boyo-Obanuwama’s husband that the corporation will process an application for an employment licence in the most expeditious manner, no applications have been received from any employer to employ him.