The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of Labour Dion Foulkes said yesterday the government "is very disappointed" with the disproportionate ratio of Bahamians to foreign workers at The Pointe's construction site and is currently in talks with its management to resolve the issue.

Speaking outside Cabinet yesterday, he told reporters: "I could say based on our figures, and I have confidence in our officers, that we are not pleased with the Bahamian component at The Pointe. I think the percentages are around 30 percent to 70 percent in favour of non-Bahamians. It is supposed to be the exact opposite.

"We have been in talks with the management of the Pointe and their explanation is that they have some 22 Bahamian sub-contractors working at The Pointe and they are including those numbers (and) the employees that work for those 22 sub contractors as part of the Bahamian component."

In the Heads of Agreement between China Construction America (CCA), The Pointe's developer, and the government, it states that 70 percent of the workers must be Bahamian, while 30 percent should be foreign.

Earlier this month, Labour Director John Pinder told The Tribune there were 264 foreign labourers to 90 Bahamian workers at site.

His comments came days after The Tribune did a head count of foreigners leaving the Bay Street construction site, estimating more than 200 Chinese labourers walking from the area to their accommodations across the street.

According to Mr Foulkes, Pointe officials have since defended those numbers, claiming that the number of Bahamian workers at the construction site is "much higher" than what has been reported.

"Their argument is (it) depends on when you come and depends on what the project is, the Bahamian component is much higher whether you come in the morning or the evening," he said yesterday.

"Like for example, they're doing their swimming pools now, so they have a major Bahamian sub-contractor there working on the pools and so, they're accounting all of the Bahamians that are working on the water system and the pool system as part of the Bahamian component.

"They're saying that we don't factor that in."

Still, Mr Foulkes said the matter will be under "active consideration."

"We're sitting down with them and we are talking with them. We did a survey as early as last week and it is not something we are pleased with. Their figures conflict with our figures and it is something that we are trying to work out... it is something that is under active consideration," he added.

Construction on the $200 million development is expected to finish in the second quarter of this year.