UPDATE: Truckers continue negotiations in Fisheries Complex work dispute

President of the Tippers Truckers Association Earl Laudat said a meeting with the company responsible for the construction of the Portsmouth Fisheries Complex did not end satisfactorily since truckers are not pleased with the agreement reached.

On Wednesday, just before 7:00 a.m., approximately 40 truckers went on location at the site looking for work, since only foreign truckers were employed on that project.

Laudat said the truckers were not staging a protest. “We went to look for work … It was not a matter of protest, it was about looking for work and bringing the amount of trucks we feel they would need. If they needed two they would get two, if they needed 20 they would get 20,” he told Dominica News Online.

At the scene, Laudat claimed the truckers exhibited discipline and their presence there was peaceful. He noted that police officers were present, but said he did not see the need.

“We wanted a fair share of the pie … We’re a very peaceful set of people; we’re very smart and intelligent young men… a lot of people have the impression that the trucker is a fellow who never went to school and any work he get he will do,” he added.

He said he is not pleased with subsequent negotiations on the matter, and disclosed that another discussion would ensue this afternoon.

“They agreed to give us work after a three hour discussion with them; they agreed on our rates. The agreement is if they need us they would use us, which we didn’t agree to that. They would only give us work if their trucks break down and if their trucks parked there’ll be no need for us,” he explained.

According to Laudat, four St. Lucian truckers are employed with the company.

Parliamentary Representative of Portsmouth Ian Douglas and Minister of Fisheries Dr. Kenneth Darroux also met with the truckers.  Laudat described the discussion as a nice one and he thanked the government ministers for listening to their problems.

“Hopefully Monday we will come to a resolution, something that both parties can be happy about,” he said.

Laudat did not indicate what their next move would be if the situation does not end in their favour.

“I cannot say what will happen or what wouldn’t happen. I’ll just be leading an organization on behalf of 80, 90 truckers. There’s nothing I can say at present. Whatever the truckers say that is what will [happen],” he stated.

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19 Comments

  1. child
    January 25, 2010

    if possie getting a gift take it .the government not spending a dime but alyou still complaining .i bet you if they have to employ our truckers the project will take longer because the money will finish (they charging too much )

  2. Mr.Who
    January 25, 2010

    High cost, low service level – Dominican Trucker

  3. BELZBOB
    January 22, 2010

    Don’t be fooled people. When things like this happen and people say it has nothing to do with the government or politics. Everything that happens in the country is mandated by laws and the people you vote into gorvernment are the ones you empower to create, dictate and enforce these laws accordingly. They way in which they do it, if they do it at all and the scope of the people affected by it is the politics behind it all. Dominica has become a country of HAND-OUTS. So I expect nothing more than it’s people to start demanding hand-outs now. We’ve given in to a basic sin. GREED. Not willing to work hard and be professional. Out there in the real worl you want a contract, you bargin for it. You provide at least same quality work more affordably. Not less quality work at a higher price. And you don’t tell someone how to give you a gift. You receive it graciously. God is good to those who walk in His light. Be fair and honest. Peace & Love. Dominicans.

  4. Thoughtful
    January 22, 2010

    Oh Oh is right.

    This is a Japanese funded project and a grant. Anybody know what a “grant” is? Check it out.

    Obviously the Japanese are trying to keep this as cost effective as possible as they are not going to get nothing in return for it.

    I don’t want to put down the Dominican truckers but they are inefficient, expensive and unreliable at best.

    It is time we address good work ethics in Dominica and don’t give in to the slackness and stop blaming everybody else for our problems.

    Many of the times we have the answers to our own problems but we fail to realize it. Instead we blame government and everybody else. It is typical slavery mentality.

  5. OH Oh
    January 22, 2010

    This protest is rubbish, the Japanese is funding the project the truckers want to force them to use their trucks!!!

    And they so bold they want to even give them the rate that they must pay them!!!

    All that is RUBBISH MY FRIENDS RUBBISH!!!! If i promise to build a house for you how on earth you want to tell me who i must employ? If i have my trucks and drivers already how on earth you can tell me i must employ your brother who has a truck and pay him at his rate which appears to be more than my own rate i pay my drivers?

    PPL its time we think beyound the box, This is a Japanese funding project and the contractor is a Japanese company its obvious they will want to do it using the most cost effective method, our tax money is contributing zip, nada, nothing to the project.

    Lets just accept the gift, be thankful and see the longterm economic benefit of the project.

    We must show gratitude to ppl who is interested in our well-being.

    The Truckers do get work maybe they need to review their rates and hopefully they will get more work!!!!

    Thats my opinion, i know there is adequate work for the truckers the problem maybe their RATES!!!!

  6. just a thought
    January 22, 2010

    That is sad, very very sad, trucks on the island but foreign contractors already getting the money to do the job bringing in their own trucks. Whoever negotiates these contracts are crazy…oh well only in dominica

  7. Japan
    January 22, 2010

    LABOUR POWER!!! Take that for the next five years truckers.

    • possie observer
      May 4, 2010

      oh God!

      Thanks for making me laugh! LOL! LOL!

  8. Barbie
    January 22, 2010

    I guess that’s what they voted for. Soo many trucks parked around the island because they got no work to do yet still we getting foreign truckers for a project here. That’s nonsense. I guess that’s the jobs the Labour Party government promised. The promised to provide jobs but never said whether or not the jobs would be for Dominicans.

  9. help
    January 22, 2010

    yes my people my people yes . everything is politics for us here in dominica. when are we going to learn . to all those talking politics u have five more years to do that . enjoy !!!!!!!!

  10. Prophet2
    January 21, 2010

    Sean Curtis Mathurin, Economic Affairs Officer at the OECS Secretariat
    OECS Secretariat – Castries, St. Lucia (January 22, 2010): The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Secretariat is preparing to launch a labour force survey of OECS Member States.

    To this end, the Secretariat is finalizing a regional workshop on the practical application of labour force sampling methodologies and techniques. The workshop is scheduled for Grenada from January 25th – 29th, 2010.

    This training in the conduct of labour force surveys is being undertaken with financial support from the World Bank under its Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building grant facility.

    This workshop will be one of several planned activities organized by the OECS Secretariat, which will culminate in the establishment of an OECS Labour Market Information System. Other components of that system will include standardisation of labour administrative records and the integration of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) in the operations of OECS Departments of Labour.

    Economic Affairs Officer at the OECS Secretariat Sean Curtis Mathurin says the establishment of an OECS Labour Market Information System is regarded as being fundamental to the smooth operation and monitoring of progress in the implementation of the OECS Economic Union, which is expected to come into full effect by June 2010: “This workshop will seek to give effect to the establishment of functioning support and functional modalities for the establishment of the OECS Economic Union as it pertains specifically to the free movement of labour.”

    A sampling specialist of UN-ECLAC will lead the training exercise. The specialist will work with statisticians from participating OECS Member States, using a practical “learning by doing” approach. Further support will come from a sampling expert from the Jamaica Statistical Institute. The training will be geared towards building the technical capacity of OECS Statistical Offices in sample design, structuring of sample frames and sampling and estimation procedures, drawing on country-specific data.

    Mathurin says Grenada has been identified as one of the pilot member countries for the labour force survey.

  11. zengleden
    January 21, 2010

    Dont panic everyone will get a job and be happy as ever! All shall have money in the pocket!

  12. Power to the People
    January 21, 2010

    Some people just waiting and praying for things to go bad in Dominica. But God is good all the time and Dominica will prevail. The truckers are fighting for their rights and they have a right to protest. That have nothing to do with what party they support. We must stop mixing matters and pray for the country to be in peace. What gain is there in it for Dominica if the country has social unrest. Truckers, do your thing in a contrite spirit for the good of all of us. War and strife will not solve any problem. Just my piece. Everything that happen in Dominica is Labour Power. STOP IT!!!

  13. nigel
    January 21, 2010

    looking on u suck. seems like u the one who has issues with politics

  14. well well well
    January 21, 2010

    you know i have to say that it is sad because some of those guys that were part of the protest they were the same group of guys that were paid to clear the area
    they pocket the money and now are backing for more food
    Can some positive ever take place in Portsmouth without all this rowrow behind it
    please
    Ithought that we were all part of the development plan
    At the end of it all the man/little boy the police charge for obstruction of traffic the man born and raised in Portsmouth
    i didn’t expect this from Him
    (we are suppose to be peace makers) the next time you open your bible look it up
    Hellas

  15. Dominica First.
    January 21, 2010

    Thats what i was talking about. That Big stadium thats in Roseau, Dominica didn’t recieve any economic benefits from the construction. why? because there wasn’t any Dominican’s employed at the stadium. If any materials were bought in Dominica, it was marked down so low that companies didn’t make any profits.
    We don’t even need a fisheries complex in Portsmouth… We need a yachting facility to Boost the tourism sector in the north… Why is this gov’t so death and manipulative? And why our the people so blind?

  16. January 21, 2010

    Why everyting have to turn into a poiitical milage?I totally agree with mr Laudat jus wait and see wat happens on monday and then u can take the matter further.peace my brother.

  17. pillow
    January 21, 2010

    Stay there and play nice with Ian them…. you seem to be worried about them and they are not worried one bit about u.

  18. looking on
    January 21, 2010

    This year i don’t want to hear any talk about government do this and that. This is the next level. The truckers making a force were the same ones who had big red flag and their whole truck and jeep in red. LABOUR POWER. This is the NEXT LEVEL the government is taking them to. Suck it up. LABOUR POWER,

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