The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Below is an article written by Hon Bernard J. Nottage in reference to the Baha Mar project. This article was published on October 2010 and it is amazing that, eight years later, the exact questions and concerns still linger today. It makes us wonder if we have indeed changed governments, or if we have the same leadership with new faces.

Employment of Chinese Construction Workers

There has been much discussion about the number of Chinese nationals who will be required to work on the construction phase.

Concerns have been raised as to the skill levels of the Chinese and whether they will be employed doing tasks which Bahamians can do. Bahamians want to know whether there will be Chinese labourers imported to perform any unskilled tasks that Bahamians are capable of performing. There would be strong objection to that.

Bahamians want to know whether there are construction methods being used on the Core Project, which are new and unknown to Bahamian workers. If the answer is yes, they should be defined and in accordance with the original 2005 HOA, arrangements should be made to ensure that there is transfer of skills and technology to Bahamian workers during the course of this project.

As it is very likely that Chinese financing will be used for future projects, it is incumbent on the government (GOB) to ensure that the lack of such skills can no longer be used as an excuse for depriving Bahamian workers of the opportunity to work on projects in their own country.

Concerns have also been expressed as to how the government will evaluate the workers who are brought in as to their character, their health and their skill levels. The accusation that some workers may have criminal records should be dealt with. The need to ensure the good health and freedom from contagious diseases must be satisfied. The skill levels must be monitored and confirmed.

Concern has also been expressed as to the terms and conditions of employment for the migrant workers. Will they be paid according to Bahamian wage scales in accordance with ILO Conventions? What are the living conditions under which they will be accommodated? What Health and Safety Regulations will be in place?

One of the concerns of the developers of the project is that Bahamian construction workers do not have any experience working at the heights that will be required for the 24 storey buildings. There is fear about the safety of the local workers.

The Health and Safety Act was passed but has not been enforced because of the lack of regulations needed to support it. In the meantime, there have been several serious incidents on construction sites, which have resulted in loss of life, which might have been avoided had the appropriate regulations been compiled and enforced. It is essential that this be done in time for the start of this project, which will have conditions requiring them. Additionally the safety of the construction environment must be monitored by agents of the Ministry of Labour.

Recent discussions have suggested that there are no special skills or new construction technology to be utilized in the Core Project. There is a view that what is different is the rate at which the foreign workers will be compensated and the conditions under which they will be working and housed. Further there is a view that, having regard to the cultural and language differences, the chances for disharmony cannot be discounted. There is a need to ensure that the environment is created to avoid such problems.

There are also concerns that workers who are brought in for this project may stay in The Bahamas after the project has been completed and further deprive Bahamians of jobs in the future. It is understood, however, that part of the agreement is that all persons brought in for this project will be repatriated at the end of construction. It is incumbent on the government to ensure that this is done.

A VOICE FROM THE PAST

Nassau,

May 8, 2018.