PM wants more diligence at PWC

PWC workers took to the streets on Monday in protest action
PWC workers took to the streets on Monday in protest action

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has told the staff of the Public Works Corporation (PWC) to take ownership of the corporation as the government is biting the bullet to keep all of them employed.

The prime minister met with representatives of the PWC following protest action by staff members in Roseau on Monday.

“One of the things I said to the employees, in particular, that they must start treating the corporation as if it is their own,” Skerrit said. “They must be more diligent, they must have a sense of pride and they must work towards making the corporation look good in the eyes of the public.”

He said he pointed to a project being done by the PWC in Penville, which he visited, where work had not started at 11:45 am.

He stated that $1.4-million was paid in advance to the PWC for that $5-million project and the government isn’t owing anything on it.

“You go on site at 11:45 in the morning, work has not started,” Skerrit said. “They had left the site without the client owing them any money.”

The prime minister is inquiring as to how this “lack of diligence” is explained.

“So how do they explain that? How do they explain the lack of diligence? How do you explain the lact of management?” he asked. “That cannot be the responsibility of the minister for public works.”

The country’s leader also pointed out that the PWC owes the state “several millions of dollars,” including $1.9-million to the VAT Unit.

“Now these are contracts that they have gotten from the government and where the government has paid them in full,” he stated. “They owe social security, they owe income tax.”

Skerrit said he should be the one protesting against the PWC.

“So I said to them that they should not come in front my office to protest,” he stated. “You should have been outside the PWC and the only person that should be protesting is myself against you guys because I have some very fundamental concerns.”

He noted that staff at the PWC is also of concern.

“This is the largest construction company in the country,” he noted. “And there are times, and the employees agree and the management recognize, that where several employees would not be doing anything for the week. So this is an issue that the board, management and staff have to deal with and you guys need to meet and come back to me and advise me on how we address these issues.”

He noted that the management has recommended a staff cut from 92 to 45 but the government is opposed to the idea based on the fact that staff has commitments and jobs are not readily available.

“We are biting the bullet. We are biting the pressure,” he pointed out, adding that for the issues to be successfully addressed there must be cooperation and collaboration “of all concerned.”

Copyright 2012 Dominica News Online, DURAVISION INC. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.

We will delete comments that:

  • contain any material which violates or infringes the rights of any person, are defamatory or harassing or are purely ad hominem attacks
  • a reasonable person would consider abusive or profane
  • contain material which violates or encourages others to violate any applicable law
  • promote prejudice or prejudicial hatred of any kind
  • refer to people arrested or charged with a crime as though they had been found guilty
  • contain links to "chain letters", pornographic or obscene movies or graphic images
  • are off-topic and/or excessively long

See our full comment/user policy/agreement.

35 Comments

  1. seriously!
    August 14, 2014

    mr say “he should be the one protesting against the PWC ,”
    “So I said to them that they should not come in front my office to protest,” he stated. “You should have been outside the PWC and the only person that should be protesting is myself against you guys because I have some very fundamental concerns.”………….so clearly he is the only one that has the right to protest because who are we, who are we to come infront his office, who are we? mr have the mentality that dominica and the whole government is his. anytime mr is challenge he has this gutter attitude, well skerrit go and protest……what a shame of a pm no value

  2. JoJo
    August 14, 2014

    Well, mr. Skerrit put your money where your mouth is and, go on strike now! Maybe we finally get some peace and cooperation in the country in when you do because really, we can not go any lower. Today, all I cn see is long faces and unhappiness all over the place.

  3. corruption 101
    August 14, 2014

    While the chinese were on a “100 million dollar” job struggling to paste some tarish in potholes and paste a thin coat of colas over an unprepared west coast road, I saw the effecient pwd do a professsional, well prepared road work between castle comfort and the southern end of loubiere. Yes in record time. Two nights.
    Meanwhile Skerrit could not justify why the projects being done by the bajans, the trinidadians, his fellow french citizens were all over a year behind their contracted completion dates.
    and no, he did not impose the penalties on these companies as stipulated by the contracts.
    It’s called ” corruption 101″
    give the contracts to external companies=reduce the track ability of the kickbacks.
    unfortunately there is no multiplier effect in the economy
    hence a negative 1.5% growth despite hundreds of millions of dollars of “infrastructural projects. ”
    Road by trinidad company had to be ripped up and redone less than a year after completion.
    chises surface was being washed away before the project was completed. And major rooad failures less than a year after completion.
    bajan road annnd sea wall a ramp that directs the waves onto the rooad that is sloped to drain into the homes rather than let the water out.
    frrench company caused major road failure and inevitable national disaster at antrim by blocking the water course with thousands of tons of heavy clay soil….

  4. RastarMarn
    August 13, 2014

    But Skerrow how can you be telling them Government employees to handle their own business when you taking all them infrastructure road projects and giving to your buddy Fellows from Barbados and Trinidad,,,

    The question is: How is it the Skerrow administration can find funds to issue contracts to private entities but telling the employes of the government to take control of the department they work in,,,

  5. A Voice
    August 13, 2014

    Maybe it is just my conspiracy theory mind, but it occurs to me that the PWC is being set up to fail.

    First thing, you ain’t paying them people their salary, then you salay them in your church speech. Third, you out sourcing their jobs. Fourth, and most importantly, you designate their property for your hotel without first making somewhere else available to them.

    Might be just me, but this looking highly suspicious…

  6. The real problem
    August 13, 2014

    No two ways about it. The situation the PWC is in now is as a direct result of pressure, Bad governance, debts owed by Govt.

    How could Skerritt explain the selling,of the land, where PWC has operated for decades, without any information, consultation with PWC?

    Where Govt putting PWC? How much did Skeriit’s DLP sell the area to the Chinese? So is not our damn business?

    Whose hotel by the way? the Chinese buy PWC area to build their hotel on their piece of land they bought ,right? How comes Skerritt and his DLP Govt sign loan to fund the building of the Chinese Hotel?

    How comes the Chinese diplomatic corps in Dominica washed their hands re. that project? How comes the loan was not coming from the Chinese Govt., but private Chinese business? all those millions of $$$$$$ poor Dominicans have to pay back, but the hotel is not ours?

    We smell a BIG RAT. Never again slavery. Never again Massa days. PWC is not the problem.

    • JoJo
      August 14, 2014

      But mr. Skerrit, your own govt. are 100% owners of PWC. How can you come and talk about diligence now
      It is not that you don’t know about the situation because you painted it so starkly to the PWC employees, who dared to protest. If things are that bad at PWC start looking at the top, the management , the board first.out your own asset?
      Talking about assets, I hear your own valuation office put the market value for the PWC site at $7.5 million but that you in a cabinet meeting, incl. the M.P. for Roseau north decided to sell it for $ 5 million only If that is not true tell us that this is not so and that you did not agree to sell it and not for that price anyway.

  7. Mr. Deligent
    August 13, 2014

    PM has more important issues to deal with than pwd.Five Police officers in court while in the execution of their duties.you cannot hold top job without managinial experience its up to you to clean this mess before approach CARICOM.it cost plenty of tax payers money to train these men and you want to ensure this does not happen again. this is beyond dbs hands.please intervene now before it escalate

  8. giving
    August 13, 2014

    please read and understand people before you make comments and don’t add politics to everything

  9. IG
    August 13, 2014

    “You go on site at 11:45 in the morning, work has not started,”
    Isn’t it as a result of the current situation of lack of pay?

  10. IG
    August 13, 2014

    So based on what i have just read i have to ask this question. Who is to be blamed in this situation where you have managers and people who work directly under them not being paid due to the implied mismanagement of the funds given to the corporation for projects etc.
    Is it that the managers mismanage or something else. The workers protesting cannot be blamed for doing so and the PM is not entitled to protect because they put the managers in place hence they should ensure the proper runnings of the Corporation..
    Correct me if i am wrong here.

  11. UDOHREADYET
    August 13, 2014

    The singular source of the problem is effective ‘PROJECT MANAGEMENT’ this way they can account for the hours and money being spend as well as the work being done. I don’t mean the fake project mangers that pretend to do project management and think its about them and not the project but real project mangers that can manage multiple projects successfully within the projected timeline. so you wont have people sitting around or late to work because they will be assigned tasks to be completed withing a specific time-frame. If not then go home! As long as the time-frame is realistic to international standards. ALLUDOHREADYET!

  12. Lougaoo Mem
    August 13, 2014

    Wow! He made his case. If what he said is true, then, PWC is not diligent in the execution of their work, have no sense of PRIDE of who they are and what they do. But most importantly, he pointed out that PWC owes several millions of dollars. If all what he said is true, all I’ll say it’s very bad for both the taxpayers and PWC.

    On the other hand, there are two sides in a coin, and based on Roosevelt Skerrit’s record, we all know he has zero credibility, and is also known as an infamous inveterate “LIAR.”

    From the way Skerrit talks, he sounds like he and only he owns PWC. I chuckled when he said that he should be the one to strike. Really? I really don’t know about the man. Sorry!

  13. Anonymous
    August 13, 2014

    what the pm dose not know is that the creator of heaven and earth never nor doses do not cause raft of GOD to fall on you

  14. ?????????
    August 13, 2014

    I wish skerrit could tell us who the managers of pwc are and who put tyem yhere…

  15. ?????????
    August 13, 2014

    Pm… is mr albert a member on pwc board?….. i suggest that u tell him to manage pwc.and stop the animal show talk.

  16. Hmm..
    August 13, 2014

    1.9 owing to VAT???…. almost the same owing by Govt. for the Morne Prosper Road…..

    and almost the same amount owing by the Govt. for road maintenance works also…..hmmm…hmmm

    you can fool the people sometimes but you can’t fool them all the time……

  17. %
    August 13, 2014

    Biting the bullet? With all the free money that is being given out to party supporters and to individuals to buy votes? Well Mr PM you must be telling untruths whenever you are telling us that the country is doing so very well because of good fiscal prudence. I wonder if you know the meaning of fiscal prudence. After all you are no Dr Thompson Fontaine,Lennox Linton, Joshua Francis, Joseph Isaac, Claudius Sanford or any of the other Team Dominica/ UWP candidates, who understands economic terms. These are bright guys . I myself know that country is in a state of near collapse. That’s why i cannot wait TO VOTE FOR CHANGE.
    WORKERSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
    HOW LONG?
    NOT LONG!

  18. dafriend
    August 13, 2014

    for once I have to agree with Skerrit. The work ethics here in this country are substandard. I even dare saying, that it holds the development of the entire country back. Nobody wants to work and if they get a job, only sloppiness and absence one gets in return. Learn to do a descent days job…

    • IG
      August 13, 2014

      If Managers are lackadaisical what do you expect of the subordinates?

    • Anonymous
      August 14, 2014

      Wouldn’t you be disgruntle or display poor work ethic if you’re consistently not paid on time. Could this poor work ethic be a result of the current situation they are protesting against??? Just saying…

  19. goodforyou
    August 13, 2014

    PWC do all you work and you all will get paid don’t blame gvm for all you worng doing

    • why-so-serious
      August 14, 2014

      come better than tht!

  20. me to
    August 13, 2014

    The PM put his clones to rule when he finish he talking about due diligence, and by the way PWC is owned by the government.

  21. BULLCROP
    August 13, 2014

    why is skerrit saying and i quote..”i should be the only one protesting against public works” is skerrit the sole judge? is the government of dominica made up of one man? namely skerrit?? i thought the cabinet was made up of more than one person???? holy cow…

  22. Doc. Love
    August 13, 2014

    I am confused. Tell me Mr. Letang, is Skeritt wrong when he says, it is Public Works Corp. that owes the Government. For days you have been saying Social Security deductions have not been paid on behalf of the works. They cannot get their tax returns because their deductions are not reaching the tax department, however, Skeritt is saying something else. Who is telling the truth and who is lying.

  23. real possie
    August 13, 2014

    That’s the best you all could say? you were bashing from day one and never heard the other side of the coin, most companies has the backing to start most projects but you all were given 1.4 mil. to start that project you told DNO how much the GOV. owed you guys but never told them how much you all owed the state, you all had the people protesting and never advise them what they were protesting about poor people did not even realize that they were sacrificial lamb for those people party and agenda, but some how what the PM said will somehow be spun and make this another blame on the PM when this was orchestrated to make the GOV. look bad. PS, if you guys are having a demonstration why are none public works employee in the group of demonstrators? overheard some say that was a blue fest hijack demonstration, one day you all will learn not to mix party with you all family daily bread one day you all will get it just hope that day don’t just come one day to late.

  24. SN
    August 13, 2014

    I do not understand why the PWC would be owing VAT and Income Tax. Isn’t Public Works a government entity? Maybe I a missing something. Was this entity privatized? If not, it is laughable government would be imposing taxes on publicly owned entities. To do so, only increases the cost of projects and create government liabilities.

  25. Abitrator
    August 13, 2014

    Wow Interesting; Dictatorship at it’s best. Civilians complain and the they get threatened by their jobs could be cut. It’s all about Skeritt, what does he mean by he is the one complaining? Be carefully he might sue PWC too

  26. August 13, 2014

    The DLP want to get rid of public works altogether and all the jobs that they do will go to Chinese contractors. My fellow dominicans make your voices heard on election day send a message. With your vote. That’s your power.

  27. Educator
    August 13, 2014

    “He noted that the management has recommended a staff cut from 92 to 45 but the government is opposed to the idea based on the fact that staff has commitments and jobs are not readily available”

    And how is that helping anyone when people are being paid to do nothing. In the mean time PWC is late on payment of salaries to everyone else.

    How is being paid to do nothing encourage any sense of diligence that the PM spoke of. He would be far better to trim the staff to the level of work that they have and then hold the staff accountable to do the work they are being paid to do.

    The fact that some staff members are sitting down and doing nothing when there is nothing to do, is the very thing that is causing them to do nothing when there is something to do.

    Another thing, paying them to do nothing also engenders in them an attitude that one can get something for nothing.

    This is death by a thousand cuts.

    No other company can survive while carrying that kind of baggage. Only one where politicians have a hand can do that. That is why I am NEVER an advocate of government having anything to do with any kind of business venture. There is just too much political interference and the results are never good.

    This whole PWC arrangement is a colossal mess.

  28. We Are Wounded!!!!
    August 13, 2014

    Our PM has no interest in PWC. His focus is to dismantle PWC so these GOVT contracts can go to private companies belonging to the clones of the PM.

    ” These guys” is a quote from the PM…..Utterance of disrespect for poor people he has not paid.

    Diligence is not for some but for all ….The public sector workers in GOVT are not diligence base on the productivity report from Parry so why are you only deciding not to pay the PWC.

    Secondly, The PM say he is keeping 92 instead 45 at PWC because of their commitment but you still not paying the 92 so none of them are reaching their commitment. So you are exlpoiting them not helping them……..

    It would have been more prudent to keep the 45people that are needed and pay them in full so they can meet their commitment. Rather than enslave all 97 poor Dominicans while we stand by and watch..

    This is abuse of poor people from the men in high places.

  29. Cart Before Horse
    August 13, 2014

    “We are biting the bullet!” Really, PM? I thought everything was going well in Dominica. Pas sa ou di, non?

  30. Peter J
    August 13, 2014

    Skerrit and his gang have a sadistic approach to governance of this country.
    They allow the PWA workers to suffer to the point of depression and after they jump in to give relief.
    The workers have been complaining for more than a year.
    How long? Not Long!

    • Anonymous
      August 13, 2014

      They are only owed three weeks pay. Quoting listen to Letang.

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

:) :-D :wink: :( 8-O :lol: :-| :cry: 8) :-? :-P :-x :?: :oops: :twisted: :mrgreen: more »

 characters available