The Public Works Corporation has said it continues to face ‘challenges’ in its attempt to pay salaries and wages to its employees.
“Once again, we are at the point where two fortnights and one month’s salary are unpaid; this is now coupled with unpaid deductions from the last month’s obligations,” the company said in a release.
It said all these obligations were met by 3.40 p.m. on Wednesday, but it was too late to prevent industrial action by staff who called in sick on that day.
The PWC is now calling on several of its debtors to settle their accounts in order for it to meet its obligations to workers.
“We encourage others to settle their accounts with us so we can meet our obligations including those to suppliers and other support services so that we can continue to operate,” the PWC said.
The corporation said it is doing all in its power to collect outstanding amounts from clients.
Meanwhile Thomas Letang, General secretary of the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) who is representing PWC workers, said the the matter of wages and salaries has been ongoing at the PWC for too long time and it must not continue. “We need to put an end to it,” he said.
He is suggesting that a board be appointed to run the PWC since the Public Works Act allows a board ‘to do certain things.’ “We need to appoint a board,” he said. “Public Works has been without a board for a few months now.”
Letang also stated that ‘micro management’ at the PWC need to be stopped and the general manager be allowed to do his job. “I believe that there is somebody at Public Work, in the capacity of the general manager, who can get things done,” he said. “He need to be empowered, he need to be allowed to do what he was employed to do.”
He is also concerned that work is being given to private contractors while the PWC is left with little. “What we are seeing is most of these works are being given to private contractors and these people are continually being employed throughout the year, for the entire year, while those at Public Works have nothing,” he stressed. “That raises some concerns and questions have to be asked.”
Letang need to spend a week in St.Lucia & and another week in Trinidad to learn how public servants strike in those countries, so he can implement the same in Dominica, 1.5% geez man and we sacrificed a 4% levy for dem fellas.
labourites that sabotaging dem strike…………too much in de union kick them out cause they too partisan
“two fortnights and one month”?????? I thought a fortnight = 2 weeks, and 4 weeks = 1 month. Am I missing something or have I been out of D/A too long to understand?
boy there are people who get paid fortnightly and some monthly so they are referring to two sets of monies.
I am the public Relation’s officer of the PWC and i must say how painful it is to know the amount of Private company’s and Indivuals that owe the PWC and not a cent they are willing to pay thats why we are under so much pressure ………………i am calling on all those companys and Indivual’s to pay us our money so our buisness could run smothly if not by the next time i say any thing i will call all of you by names and your buisness places.Government should not be blamed alone at least every time the Government coming to our rescut to assist in paying our salaries but those other companys running away to Barbados and other countries and not paying us you better pay up now or i will be exposing you very soon.PWC should be getting all the Road Maintenance works weather it be brush Cutting Drainage,culvert clearing Road surfacing,Patching,and all other works and our supervisors will supervise all the road works but now only two men supervising Road works around the country they cannot manage that, fellars just claiming to do work around the country send big bills and getting payed without proper invistagion.the Ministry not doing what they have to do or their staff not enough but we are ready for all Road works we have the man power so why are so many incompetent contractors getting the jobs and we get the scraps.
AS soon as you stop sounding like a dummy and open you eyes to whats really happening you will resign from he post that you claim to currently hold.
Questions to enlighten you:
1. Who give the foreign contractors the work?
2. Who write the contracts?
3. Who allow them to walk away without paying PWC?
4. Who quick to pay PWC everytime a strike is looming?
5. Who got the so called KICKBACKS from the foreign companies?
I just asking because you seem to be a dotish.
Assertive, NOT Agressive!
What happen to the legal process. Sue them and collect your money.
As a public relations officer, you need to take your time and read over what you have written. Check your grammar and spelling, otherwise your story loses all its credibility.
Not only that but with somebody like that as P.R. the company itself would lose its credibility.
Whilst I doubt you are the PWC PR officer the observation about C.O. Williams of Barbados is interesting. A controversial figure at the best of times Sir Charles “COW” Williams, in an interview with the Barbados “Weekend Nation”, published on 16 Feb. 2007 claimed that he had been called by the Prime Minister of Dominica (and the one of Grenada) with a view to come and see what we have to offer with regard to investment opportunities.
“I am delighted that the prime ministers of Dominica and Grenada have recognised that C.O. Williams has something to offer, and it is a great opportunity for us to spread our wings”.
One has to wonder whether the granting of the upgrade of the Loubierre/Grandbay Road and the Pt. Michel seawall project were awarded to this company as compensation for losing out to Gaddarkhan on the Pont Casse/Hatton garden road and what arrangements were put in place to compensate PWC, a company owned by Govt., for work/services contracted by C.O. Williams.
Yoland are you a public relations officer for SKERRIT of Viellecase lie you or are you singing for more milk. In the first place what s your qualification. You were a time keeper during Freedom Party days because you were a mouth piece for them.
How will you pay the board?????
Mr Letang,
Unless you demonstrate that you’ve got balls to play hard ball with the caliber of people you are dealing with in this fake DLP, you’ll continue to be a $$/% loser.
I beg that you stop all the blah, blah, blah, and no meaningful action. Your cries mean nothing to those who continue to fleece and get super rich while the poor is unable to meet their basic needs. You catch ma drift?
My advice to you is, if you’re unable to stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Or go get some hard balls before you get on the field. (lol)
Thank You!
I luv my pm!
st luce power
Letang the Problem you helped this regime sink the local economy by not being tough on them..
you should have ask the regime to reduce their cabinet size, way too large and the cabinet comes up with Zeros in the economy..
This is a square stoned size cabinet.
Oh so now is Letang fault? When union members put party before their daily bread, and love their PM so much they rather hide than stand up for their rights Letang must be blamed? When employees who are struggling to make ends meet, celebrate Ministers getting triple their salaries and find nothing wrong, how can Letang alone get the government to reduce the cabinet size? When people like you shift focus and blame from the real pot stirrers to Letang how can we move forward as a nation? Everybody want to have sacrificial lamb in Dominica. You can’t sit in NY and just say what you want, if you don’t know what is happening then inform yourself. Union workers even taking pictures with their cellphones of other colleagues at PSU meetings to carry tales, hoping to win favours. It’s a new era in Dominica.
Union workers even taking pictures with their cellphones of other colleagues at PSU meetings to carry tales Wow wow Wow.. Dominica get like Cuba & China look Communism in the nature isle. Yes I!
You know that’s the problem i have with many Dominicans
Mr.Letang i would think you a smart man, but i have Issues with your understand of basic aspect of affairs..
Are you that limited to see where the issues are in Dominica..
If you don’t,a Leader must have some kind of Management skills and vision, a red clinic mindset is DOOM to any land masses on planet earth, how the heck you expect growth And Prosperity in Dominica..
No wonder why they continue to look down at Dominica…Take a look at the rest of the Leaders In the Caribbean track record, experience and Education etc…how do you expect Dominica to fall Into a fore runner island..
I dislike when folks in Dominica no the cause of Dominica’s problems and continue to either spin Issues, fool the masses, pretend all is well or Just remain silent…
“We need to put an end to it,” he said- Thomas Letang
Sir Letang, stop being a laughing stock. The general membership knows that your words has no effect where the government has interests. If we really need to do something then do it! If the general membership does not show up when a trike is called then you can now blame them for not putting their actions to words. But until then, stop babbling because your words mean nada, nothing, silt to us.
Assertive, NOT Agressive!
Labourrrrr power! That’s how we role