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Some contractors and workers who participated in the national hurricane clean-up programme are angered by the fact that five months later they have not received payment.
Payments were suspended by the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) after detectives were called in to ascertain the legitimacy of some of the contractors.
The national clean-up exercise was launched after the passage of Hurricane Dean and the services of various contractors were solicited.
After concerns about the handing out of contracts began to emerge, an investigation was launched.
But the investigations have left the contractors on hold, waiting for their money.
They say their affairs have been put in jeopardy and they are coming under immense pressure from the workers they employed. One contractor, Jacko*, expressed fear for his life as well, and told THE STAR, "A long time now and all we're getting is promises ... we have to pay the sidemen, and those guys are from places like Riverton and Jungle and we have to be giving them promises ... What you expect them to think?"
NOT EVEN A CENT
Jacko revealed that he used two of his trucks to help in the clean-up process and said he hired four men to work on each. He said he is entitled to over $600,000. He also said all start-up expenses, including gas and servicing the vehicles, were covered by him.
"We gwaan until wi finish all di work, and not even a cent? I went down there to them and all them saying is that there is some investigation going on. I been going there since October and dem seh dem wouldn't able fi pay anyting till November. We there waiting and waiting till November come and gone."
He said he was later informed that detectives had been called in to probe alleged discrepancies and said, "a jus pure problem and nobody can't tell yu a thing. It's just indefinite. Di people dem want dem money and dem will kill yu for it. It look like dem want murder fi gwaan.
"Nobody don't call us or anyting. Wi need wi money. Wi can't wait on dem. Wi spen our money an invest our money an dem can't even give wi a time frame. Wi have our children going to school, we have our families and den yu have men whe waan kill us."
THREATENED
Jacko said he was threatened by some of the men he hired and was forced to borrow money to pay them off. "Di man dem threaten mi. Mi haffi borrow and now mi haffi go pay back dat whe mi borrow. Dis is not di way yu treat people."
He continued, "If there is robbery down there, they need to find out but honest people want their money. Look from when them investigating. Di man dem seh dem nuh business and dem want dem money. Dem start mek trouble and come a mi business place come embarrass mi. Yu know seh yu can't owe dem people deh fi long."
The contractors are not the only ones suffering, however. Wacky, a driver who was employed by one of the contractors, is also waiting to be paid and said his life has been put on hold.
He said, "Mi did work off Red Hills Road fi a fortnight. Mi drive truck and mi do like four or five trip a day an mi supposed to get $1,000 a trip, so yu can imagine a how much mi a lose? Mi talk to dem an dem a tell mi bout stop order and dat set mi back a lot. Mi did have mi work a Montego Bay and mi lef it fi dis, so mi expect seh mi woulda get pay."
HARASSED
He, too, is being harassed by the 'sidemen' who are demanding money. "More time dem mek noise an mi talk to dem but dem start come to mi every week now.
"Two ladies did work wid me and dem a seh dem want dem money too cause dem have children an dem nuh have no father, and dats why dem come pan di work."
Efforts to contact the NSWMA's executive director, Joan Gordon-Webley, were unsuccessful. However, in an article published in The Gleaner last December, Gordon-Webley said payments were suspended because a review into the licence plates of vehicles assigned for the project revealed several irregularities. Some of the vehicles were found to be privately owned and others were not fit for such tasks.
At a press conference held in December to address the issue, she said, "In light of the above findings, the payment to contractors for Hurricane Dean clean-up work was suspended effective immediately while further checks are carried out."
http://www.jamaica-star.com/thestar/...ews/news1.html
Payments were suspended by the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) after detectives were called in to ascertain the legitimacy of some of the contractors.
The national clean-up exercise was launched after the passage of Hurricane Dean and the services of various contractors were solicited.
After concerns about the handing out of contracts began to emerge, an investigation was launched.
But the investigations have left the contractors on hold, waiting for their money.
They say their affairs have been put in jeopardy and they are coming under immense pressure from the workers they employed. One contractor, Jacko*, expressed fear for his life as well, and told THE STAR, "A long time now and all we're getting is promises ... we have to pay the sidemen, and those guys are from places like Riverton and Jungle and we have to be giving them promises ... What you expect them to think?"
NOT EVEN A CENT
Jacko revealed that he used two of his trucks to help in the clean-up process and said he hired four men to work on each. He said he is entitled to over $600,000. He also said all start-up expenses, including gas and servicing the vehicles, were covered by him.
"We gwaan until wi finish all di work, and not even a cent? I went down there to them and all them saying is that there is some investigation going on. I been going there since October and dem seh dem wouldn't able fi pay anyting till November. We there waiting and waiting till November come and gone."
He said he was later informed that detectives had been called in to probe alleged discrepancies and said, "a jus pure problem and nobody can't tell yu a thing. It's just indefinite. Di people dem want dem money and dem will kill yu for it. It look like dem want murder fi gwaan.
"Nobody don't call us or anyting. Wi need wi money. Wi can't wait on dem. Wi spen our money an invest our money an dem can't even give wi a time frame. Wi have our children going to school, we have our families and den yu have men whe waan kill us."
THREATENED
Jacko said he was threatened by some of the men he hired and was forced to borrow money to pay them off. "Di man dem threaten mi. Mi haffi borrow and now mi haffi go pay back dat whe mi borrow. Dis is not di way yu treat people."
He continued, "If there is robbery down there, they need to find out but honest people want their money. Look from when them investigating. Di man dem seh dem nuh business and dem want dem money. Dem start mek trouble and come a mi business place come embarrass mi. Yu know seh yu can't owe dem people deh fi long."
The contractors are not the only ones suffering, however. Wacky, a driver who was employed by one of the contractors, is also waiting to be paid and said his life has been put on hold.
He said, "Mi did work off Red Hills Road fi a fortnight. Mi drive truck and mi do like four or five trip a day an mi supposed to get $1,000 a trip, so yu can imagine a how much mi a lose? Mi talk to dem an dem a tell mi bout stop order and dat set mi back a lot. Mi did have mi work a Montego Bay and mi lef it fi dis, so mi expect seh mi woulda get pay."
HARASSED
He, too, is being harassed by the 'sidemen' who are demanding money. "More time dem mek noise an mi talk to dem but dem start come to mi every week now.
"Two ladies did work wid me and dem a seh dem want dem money too cause dem have children an dem nuh have no father, and dats why dem come pan di work."
Efforts to contact the NSWMA's executive director, Joan Gordon-Webley, were unsuccessful. However, in an article published in The Gleaner last December, Gordon-Webley said payments were suspended because a review into the licence plates of vehicles assigned for the project revealed several irregularities. Some of the vehicles were found to be privately owned and others were not fit for such tasks.
At a press conference held in December to address the issue, she said, "In light of the above findings, the payment to contractors for Hurricane Dean clean-up work was suspended effective immediately while further checks are carried out."
http://www.jamaica-star.com/thestar/...ews/news1.html