The truck drivers Association of Dominica parked their trucks under the Canefield cliff from 5 am this morning to raise awareness over their concerns for lack of employment opportunities.
Link to live Facebook video of the event: https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/live-truck-drivers-assemble-under-canefield-cliff/
This action is captured IN PICTURES below:
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Well, that is the thing, I forget you name; that was way back in 1964 when I returned to Dominica, for a brief period and I worked at J Astaphan & Co, where I drove and delivered goods that’s when I first saw you in the shop.
Weeks later you left for England; because when I went back to deliver again and ask the lady about you she told me you had left for England; and tell me now you did not go to meet your father.
Now if I correct; you can confirm that by disclosing whether it is true or not you left for England in or about 1964/1965.
@Ibo, totally agree that native Dominicans should be given first priority on government projects but first, they have to demonstrate that they are capable of handling the project and second, that their proposal can be done in a timely and cost effective manner.You don’t want a project that can be done in six months lasting two years.
My question to you is, are you willing to pay someone $100 for a job if you can get the same quality work done for $60.? The honest answer should be no unless you hate yourself. My point is, you have to be competitive to survive. Mr. Laville, who is the president of the truckers association stated some time ago that the problem was not that the truckers were unable to get work but rather the truckers were not willing to work for the rates that the contractors were offering.
This is their call to make. If they figure that they’re able to get more elsewhere, then go for it.
There is information suggesting and actually confirming that a number of those truckers who were seen on parade at Ravine Cocque are actually engaged right now on the international airport project. What therefore is the motive?
What I don’t like is that Chinese getting big job and for them to use our ppl they bringing their own ppl to work in our country what about us now see our truck drivers need jobs. To me the pm help who he want not everyone. God does sleep he see everything
Turmoil is a constant part of daily life in Dominica nowadays. Mr. Skerrit’s ascension to the office of prime minister has brought political disunity, moral degeneracy and economic terrorism to Dominica. Never before, in the forty-tree (43) years of political independence, have things been so bad. Things are so bad that most Dominicans are walking around with a permanent frown on their faces.
I listened to the president of the Trucker’s Association. He stated that his members weren’t asking for a stimulus package. I shook my head for he said it with disparaging intention. A real fool!
Dominicans deserve a Stimulus Package. It’s their money. Many other countries around the world have given multiple stimulus packages to their citizens. Mr. Skerrit and his wife get a stimulus package every month. In addition, each of the two, gets a hefty salary each month also.
Because of the negative publicity, Mr. Skerrit would offer the truckers a mere half- baked deal. The doltish president would happily accept. Shortly afterwards, this cat and mouse game would play out once again. Only in Dominica.
@Eagle-Eyed, thanks for giving folks like Ibo a lesson in what a free market economy entails. Either he doesn’t have a clue or is simply being dishonest about the advice he’s offering to the truckers. He needs to stop injecting politics into every issue and speak truth so that he can come across as a credible individual.
His obsession with Skerrit is clouding his ability to think straight. He needs to approach each situation with an open mindset so that he can see things clearly and then provide honest advice to the truckers.
Blocking the roads is not the solution. Determine what the root cause of the problem really is and address it.
Speaking from personal experience, these truckers charge way too much for their services.
Mark, you are being disingenuous and you are fully aware of it. Your accusations about me are spurious. In fact, they fit you PERFECTLY!
Do a very serious and honest assessment of present day Dominica. The country is an El Dorado for foreigners. The Chinese, people of Middle Eastern ethnicity and other foreigners, along with the cabal and their enablers, are the only ones in the country doing well while bona fide Dominicans are experiencing insufferable hardship.
My point is this. Native Dominicans must be given first preference to projects undertaken by their government. At least, the money they earn circulates within the country to build the local economy. Contrarily, the foreigners ‘expatriate’ their income to the country of their birth. Dominica is the loser. Think!
It is only going to get worse,Soo sorry for some of you guys.
Mr.Eagle I agree 100%.We have had foreign companies working in Dominica for years with their own equipment.KOLAS,NELO TARE,RUSH and TOMPKINS.In 1998 UWP gave GADAKHAN the contract to dredge the Layout river.A local company applied and was told they did not enough equipment to do the job.Although I feel for the truckers Mr.Eagle is right.
That’s a good move in a sense. However, this isn’t surprising. Every male over 20 in Dominica wants or have a passenger bus, or some sort of commercial vehicle. Dominica is a very small island with no social and environmental regulations. And there isn’t the roads and employment to require all these vehicles. There are even undocumented foreigners owning and operating these vehicles. The village of Mahaut is a nightmare for residents and pedestrians. It’s just an Island that’s out of control in every sense of the word. I will not involve the government into this mess because it would be a waste of my time. It’s just a very sad situation. Some bus drivers I spoke with said at the end of a day’s work, after removing the amount spent on gasoline what remain is just to eat. Bus drivers are racing with passengers aboard in an effort to bring home a “decent salary.” Not realizing that the faster they drive it’s more fuel they consume. The only remedy I see now is a change of government.
You know all of this to me is total hogwash; garbage actually.
If I am a Dominica I bought a dump truck, I would have to realize that’s a risky investment; knowing that Dominica is a small backwards and place where construction, and other work is not a common commodity.
Each and every one of the truckers are depending on government (Roosevelt Skerrit) to give them something to do, which to me is not possible.
Even if politics was not involved the situation would be the same. Nothing is happening in Dominica: no continuous building of the nation infrastructure, the sale of passports is paramount, and benefits Roosevelt and his foreign sales men and women and a few chosen Dominicans.
You all can line up, you can protest that is not going to change anything.
The change that’s needed in Dominica is to kick Roosevelt Skerrit that damage corrupted crook to the curb, allow someone with another vision to try and bring some job opportunities into the country.
@Francisco, You said in so many words. kick Skerrit, my question to you Mr Francisco, who the hell on that so-called UWP corrupt nasty calamity illiterate jokers party,could do a better job than Pm Skerrit, in a matter of fact Mr Handbag, would be a must better choice for UWP leader than Ugly Lenny, any day of the week, come on Handbag now is your chance to kick ugly Lenny, out of his miserable life.
I am tired of telling you don’t call or refer to my cousin as ugly, because as far as I am concerned, and sad to say although I don’t like to even suggest people are ugly, be reminded that when I saw you at the little shop on Steber Street where your daddy left you and ran off to England; Mr. Mandog you were not a nice looking fellow then.
You were indeed a nasty little skinny ugly boy.
Any you did not look nasty in a sense of dirty but long and skinny. Meanwhile Lennox was down the street near to the Church sitting outside in front of his parents place doing his homework.
At this point I have to let you know that Lennox would serve Dominica and our people better than that corrupted little crook Roosevelt Skerrit.
Roosevelt has progrmmed two generations to live off begging, and handouts.
The youths who learn to work had to leave the island traveled to even smaller islands such as Montserrat to find work, how shameful is that?
Lennox when elected will be much more effective!
@Francisco, Stop talking crap you bold-headed …. if you know me I challenge you to mention my real name Mr Smarta**!!
What a beautiful perade while picnicing under those beloved cliffs
. Do they really believe that will actually yield long term results? Of course Skerro is simply going to give a few a small stimulus or what I call pittance to keep quiet while undermining the rest. The sad thing is we have so many HUNGRY truckers on island yet only a few dare come out and partake in the truck show and picnic. If only they would all make a slight right turn facing the sea and stop the message would have been received in a more urgent manner. BLOCK THE ROAD you foo-ouls. These truckers have no boh-alls so dapway them. Let them stew in their own sauce. I wonder if Marley was present?
What has that got to do with the PM? Anything nowadays is to blame the PM. Ridiculous. I hope the PM never intervenes.
Your unpatriotic PM has a proclivity for all things foreign. The local truckers are denied gainful employment while foreign truckers get more work that they can handle. The despotic policy maker, Comrade Roosevelt ‘Jinping’ Skerrit’s feet should be held to the fire.
DS, you can see not much further than your nose. It’s support from asinine diehards like you for a corrupt, inept tyrant that has Dominica in this perennial economic and social turmoil. Return those two worthless, dummy degrees you bought online to the factory.
As a matter of fact, my eyes are beginning to bother me and I cannot see from a distance and at a distance. I am keeping my degrees all framed up so when you open a recycled factory I can send them to you for recycling. Read again what Eagle and Mark wrote and that should help stimulate your mind. Have you ever had a course in Economics? Maybe not. Your course has been in a dictionary using big words each time to show that you are in full command of the English man’s dictionary. There is a black American who is about to be executed today and he has averred his innocence all the way to the gallows. Check the meaning of aver.
What an idiotic statement.
But ds; don’t you know in a situation like that it has everything to do with Roosevelt Skerrit?
Whereas it is true no government on earth can provide employment for its citizens; not even in communist countries like China, the Government must create the conditions to serve as a “pull” to attract investors, and industries into the country.
That’s what Roosevelt Skerrit and his labor party has failed to do in almost thirty years in office.
Roosevelt Skerrit is nothing more than a repellent to business in Dominica.
Every foreign business and a few local businesses operating in the country long before Roosevelt was born have left the country all because of Roosevelt incompetence, and corrupted ways.
Ross Medical School after started and operated at home for forty years, that incompetent crook made them flee our country leaving thousands, employees and landlords without a source of income.
Now he is the same man who gave millions to other corrupted people claiming to build hotel.
I meant no government on earth can provide “employment for all its citizens.”
DNO please allow me a little space here to preach a message
Text: Marfhew 11:23
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence, and the violent have been seizing it by force.
Topic: Winners are not jokes
Notice the last part of our text says And the violent been seizing it by force. king James says the violent take it by force
People that want it don’t beg for it. People that want it don’t pretend the want it. Those that want it simply take and sometimes we have to take it by force!
So my fellow brothers and sister STOP playing games. Stop being afraid of the Devil. Stop being nice and instead get serious. If you not ready to fight for it the go home because you won’t get it
Stop being cry cry babies and instead be militant. Have that militant attitude. That’s the only way you will get it Amen
That’s the way those who break into our houses think:” Take!!!”
Do these truckers understand the concept of a free market economy? They need to understand that when a company submit a bid and wins their bid they are not obligated to provide work for any individual unless it is stated in their contract to do so. Once the government hands over a project to a company it is up to the company to decide what ever resources it want to use, and obviously it will choose the cheapest option in order to maximise its profits. The truckers cannot expect the government to bulldoze the company to hire local truckers if they can carry out the same work cheaper using their own resources.
The truckers association should have the expertise within their group to be able to submit competitive bids on behalf of their members to be able to outbid the foreign companies. That’s why it is called a free market economy. Not a communist state.
Stop trying to pass wool over the people’s eyes. In many other countries that are free market economies, the governments endure whoever that contractor is, will engage the locals to have an integral part to play in the project. So trucks and a certain percentage of the labour must be locally acquired/ engaged.
It’s all about liar Skerrit and the disdain with which he treats his own people. Stop your WICKED spewing of HORSE MANURE to trick the people.
Eagle-Eyed, governments usually put special measures in place to protect the locals in the job market especially in small economies. It’s a prudent thing to do.
Consider this scenario. Jamaica produces many trained teachers every year. They have the requisite qualifications and skills to be excellent teachers, many of them are just that. If Dominica were to accept every foreign trained teacher who applies to work in the education sector, what would become of the local educators? ‘Parson christen him pickney fus’.
Sometimes you have to put safeguards/measures/restrictions in place to protect your own local labour force. Go to places like the BVI, St. Lucia and Jamaica and get an eye opener.
That’s no protest. The Canefield cliff is now a new truck rest for the tired truckers who need a respite from the rigors of work. They should take their breakfast, lunch and spend some downtime there.
I listened to the president of the truckers this morning in a radio interview. It was laughable and pathetic at the same time. This gentleman has one foot in and the other foot out concerning this issue. When there is no decisive action by the aggrieved party things only exacerbate.