The Tribune

By Kortney Rodgers

LABOUR Director Robert Farquharson confirmed this week that the dispute over wages by Chinese construction workers from Baha Mar last month has been resolved.

Following a meeting with protestors and their translator, Mr Farquharson said he met with the Vice President of China Construction America Inc, Tiger Wu, to present a list of expressed concerns for Mr Wu and management to “address the matters internally.”

Mr Farquharson told The Tribune that there was no trade dispute filed by the workers, which is in accordance with the Industrial Relations Act, Section 68.

“A trade dispute should only be filed after all avenues have been exhausted,” said Mr Farquharson. “The Department of Labour is satisfied that China Construction America has been informed of the issues and have taken corrective measures. Not only have they assured us that the matters were taken care of, but they have provided evidence that all employees were paid,” he added.

On July 9, a group of Chinese construction workers employed with China Construction America protested outside the Chinese Embassy, claiming they had not been paid in six months.

The workers had walked from the Baha Mar resort in Cable Beach along Bay Street to the embassy at the Montagu end of Shirley Street.

Robert Sands, Baha Mar’s Senior Vice President of External Affairs, released a statement after the protest that said: “Baha Mar is committed to the fair and equitable treatment of all workers associated with the project. The workers in question are employees of China State Construction, we are supporting China State Construction in their investigation into (the) concerns raised by their workers.”

Mr Farquharson met with the workers that day and reassured them of his position’s requirement to be concerned about the labour conditions of all workers in the Bahamas.