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Palisadoes Subcontractors Label Sabotage Claim A Red Herring
Published: Tuesday | September 13, 20111 Comment
Tractors lay idle on the Palisadoes strip yesterday. - Norman Grindley/Chief Photographer
Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer
The wrath of subcontractors associated with the troubled airport road project in east Kingston burned yesterday in the morning heat as they reacted to claims that work had been halted because of marauding extortionists running roughshod on the site.
The subcontractors yesterday labelled as a "red herring", a charge by Transport and Works Minister Mike Henry that People's National Party (PNP) hoodlums were threatening to sabotage the project if they did not get their way.
"The only reason that the site has been closed is because of non-payment," said one subcontractor.
Efforts to contact the management of YP Seaton & Associates, the main subcontractor for the US$65-million project, failed. The principals of the company, including Seaton himself, were said to be out of office.
Though furious, the workers spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of being victimised.
They claimed, however, that extortionists were common on the site and were paid a fee until the funds dried up.
The extortionists then turned their attention to the Chinese who, being unfamiliar with their demands, rejected advances.
The employees of China Harbour Engineering Company, which assumed one-third of the project because it was lagging behind schedule, coupled with a US$5-million discrepancy involving work already done, were targeted by the extortionists.
No extortion payment since august
A subcontractor told The Gleaner that when work started on the site in 2010, the extortionists got what he characterised as a "fee" from the subcontractors.
"But no fee payment has been forthcoming since the first week of August," he added.
The police were out in their numbers on the Palisadoes strip, monitoring activities when The Gleaner drove through the area yesterday.
However, they clearly had little to do as heavy equipment lay idle beside huge boulders and workmen were almost non-existent.
One of a small group who sat in a car parked on the site said he was just waiting hopefully, not knowing what else to do.
The worker told The Gleaner that he was employed to a subcontractor, but saw no one when he arrived at the project site.
Later, a group of men in another vehicle joined the waiting workmen.
In stark contrast to the image of idleness being portrayed over the past three weeks, The Gleaner was told that the site has been a ticking time bomb.
Millions owed
YP Seaton & Associates reportedly owes trucking companies, subcontractors and suppliers approximately J$75 million, effectively crippling its efforts to have work done.
A Gleaner probe revealed that one trucking company is owed J$27 million and one subcontractor owed nearly J$30 million, which was due in August.
"Closure of the site has nothing to do with the extortion. The extortionists reacted to the non-payment when the funds to subcontractors dried up," a subcontractor asserted. "They started to issue threats, because they were not getting any money."
He added: "Nobody knows why the truckers are not being paid. The only thing we know is that no trucker has been paid, no supplier has been paid, and no subcontractor has been paid."
Henry said at the weekend that he had sent to Police Commissioner Owen Ellington a letter written by China Harbour complaining that its workers were the targets of threats to life and property.
"Although the police were out in their numbers this morning at 5 o'clock, and I understand only about 15 are now left, none of YP workers, including the scale operator, the equipment officers, were on the job," the subcontractor said, signifying that extortionists were not the reason for the work stoppage.
"They have all walked off the job - not one of them is working," he declared. "YP workers have all gone on strike, not the truckers, but his actual workers have withdrawn their services."
Checks by The Gleaner confirmed that the scale and other equipment seemed abandoned.
Asked whether any formal complaints were made to the Ministry of Transport and Works, the angry subcontractors said the ministry said it had nothing to do with the payments.
"They told (us) ... (we) must go and talk with the contractor ... . They weren't getting involved," a subcontractor said. "So they have shifted the burden to China Harbour, which denied owing the contractor any money, and so the burden was shifted to YP."
The project is being funded from a loan from the Chinese government. The problems started mid-August with work reduction as the funds dwindled and, by the end of the month, work ceased.
gary.spaulding@gleanerjm.com
Palisadoes Subcontractors Label Sabotage Claim A Red Herring
Published: Tuesday | September 13, 20111 Comment
Tractors lay idle on the Palisadoes strip yesterday. - Norman Grindley/Chief Photographer
Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer
The wrath of subcontractors associated with the troubled airport road project in east Kingston burned yesterday in the morning heat as they reacted to claims that work had been halted because of marauding extortionists running roughshod on the site.
The subcontractors yesterday labelled as a "red herring", a charge by Transport and Works Minister Mike Henry that People's National Party (PNP) hoodlums were threatening to sabotage the project if they did not get their way.
"The only reason that the site has been closed is because of non-payment," said one subcontractor.
Efforts to contact the management of YP Seaton & Associates, the main subcontractor for the US$65-million project, failed. The principals of the company, including Seaton himself, were said to be out of office.
Though furious, the workers spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of being victimised.
They claimed, however, that extortionists were common on the site and were paid a fee until the funds dried up.
The extortionists then turned their attention to the Chinese who, being unfamiliar with their demands, rejected advances.
The employees of China Harbour Engineering Company, which assumed one-third of the project because it was lagging behind schedule, coupled with a US$5-million discrepancy involving work already done, were targeted by the extortionists.
No extortion payment since august
A subcontractor told The Gleaner that when work started on the site in 2010, the extortionists got what he characterised as a "fee" from the subcontractors.
"But no fee payment has been forthcoming since the first week of August," he added.
The police were out in their numbers on the Palisadoes strip, monitoring activities when The Gleaner drove through the area yesterday.
However, they clearly had little to do as heavy equipment lay idle beside huge boulders and workmen were almost non-existent.
One of a small group who sat in a car parked on the site said he was just waiting hopefully, not knowing what else to do.
The worker told The Gleaner that he was employed to a subcontractor, but saw no one when he arrived at the project site.
Later, a group of men in another vehicle joined the waiting workmen.
In stark contrast to the image of idleness being portrayed over the past three weeks, The Gleaner was told that the site has been a ticking time bomb.
Millions owed
YP Seaton & Associates reportedly owes trucking companies, subcontractors and suppliers approximately J$75 million, effectively crippling its efforts to have work done.
A Gleaner probe revealed that one trucking company is owed J$27 million and one subcontractor owed nearly J$30 million, which was due in August.
"Closure of the site has nothing to do with the extortion. The extortionists reacted to the non-payment when the funds to subcontractors dried up," a subcontractor asserted. "They started to issue threats, because they were not getting any money."
He added: "Nobody knows why the truckers are not being paid. The only thing we know is that no trucker has been paid, no supplier has been paid, and no subcontractor has been paid."
Henry said at the weekend that he had sent to Police Commissioner Owen Ellington a letter written by China Harbour complaining that its workers were the targets of threats to life and property.
"Although the police were out in their numbers this morning at 5 o'clock, and I understand only about 15 are now left, none of YP workers, including the scale operator, the equipment officers, were on the job," the subcontractor said, signifying that extortionists were not the reason for the work stoppage.
"They have all walked off the job - not one of them is working," he declared. "YP workers have all gone on strike, not the truckers, but his actual workers have withdrawn their services."
Checks by The Gleaner confirmed that the scale and other equipment seemed abandoned.
Asked whether any formal complaints were made to the Ministry of Transport and Works, the angry subcontractors said the ministry said it had nothing to do with the payments.
"They told (us) ... (we) must go and talk with the contractor ... . They weren't getting involved," a subcontractor said. "So they have shifted the burden to China Harbour, which denied owing the contractor any money, and so the burden was shifted to YP."
The project is being funded from a loan from the Chinese government. The problems started mid-August with work reduction as the funds dwindled and, by the end of the month, work ceased.
gary.spaulding@gleanerjm.com
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