Falmouth Pier strike

[Assasin]

Falmouth Pier strike spills over into 2011








Workers on the Falmouth Pier. (Gleaner Company photo)

Work stoppage which dogged the construction of the Falmouth Pier in Trelawny has trickled into the New Year.
Workers walked off the job on Monday morning to protest wage issues.
With only six days left before the pier is scheduled to welcome its first cruise ship, the irate workers say they will not continue working until their salary issues are addressed.
They claim that they are being grossly underpaid and that unnecessary deductions are being made from their salaries as well.
However the Project Manager Jes Goldsen is disputing the workers claims.
He says the deductions are warranted.
“We have to pay taxes on all income, so we pay taxes according to the Jamaican tax system. The labourers have been paid according to what they should have been paid, the problem is that they do not really understand it,” Mr. Goldsen said.
He is also worried about the timely completion of the work for Saturday's first cruise ship arrival.
He says every effort is being made to explain the situation to the workers.

[Islandman]

What is an "unnecessary" deduction? Woud like to hear more about those.

[Assasin]

How long them a work? them just realise, a few days before the first ship dock?

[Islandman]

Might be time fe bring in some Chiney worker.

[MdmeX]

How long them a work? them just realise, a few days before the first ship dock?

You see it, none of them can't see "the greater GOOD" in having the dock completed.

If me was in charge of that project, dem would stay on strike while mi bring in others to complete the job. Look how much we stand to loose if the DAMN SHIP nuh dock. What wrang wid dem ignoramus! JEEZAS man, when them done, them bawl them can't get WORK!

[Sickko]

Nothing to so with 'greater good' these workers are idiots and this is nothing but ignorance.

Who dont know that bonuses are taxed? It is still income.

They should be lucky they got bonuses in the first place

[Assasin]

What MdMex is saying most people would be glad to see a job complete and the first ship come in and be proud that "I am a part of that". Not that I don't understand striking but I guess most have been working for months and just a few days before completion they pulling a "stick up".

Their mentality stinks. I wonder how many strikes on the Chinese project that build the conference center?

[Peter R]

Never realize seh de Reggaeboyz moonlighting as construction workers...

[Assasin]

a recession now, you tek wha you get -

[MdmeX]

a recession now, you tek wha you get -

Where is Mosiah?

[OJ]

This is madness! and when you use foreign labour them vex

[Don1]

This is madness! and when you use foreign labour them vex

what is also madness is the reportage...incomplete & misleading apparently....possibly leading to malformed conclusions.

subsequent reports on the matter indicate that the bonus was divided in 2. The first tranche, delivered before Xmas, had no taxes deducted...I guess to facilitate Xmas spending by the workers.

The remaining amount it seems was taxed on the full 100% of the bonus....
Clearly it's likely this financial device was not adequately explained to the workers, resulting in confusion & anger.

At a minimum blame is to be shared by mgmt & labour...good intentions but poor communication.

[Assasin]

Well only one week to go discuss and sue them, get the minister, labour board whoever you should Don't stop the damn project as it has a very tight deadline.

[Mosiah]

Without knowing the details, I think I understand what the Project Manager is talking about. It happened at my workplace where the workers generally do not understand the deductions, tax and otherwise.

[Assasin]

Mo you have so much labour rep in Jamaica, shouldn't that be their job on a major project to smooth things over and make sure the workers are been treated fairly? while explaining it to them?

It end up workers strike for nothing, who pay back the people for lost of productive time?