Truckers of the Dominica Tipper Truckers Association are once again lamenting the fact that they are yet to receive payment for work done on the problem-plagued Phase Two of the Melville Hall to Pond Casse Road Project.
President of the association, Earl Laudat, said the truckers have not received payment for the year emphasizing that it is already the seventh month of the year.
“We met with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Works and the minister about three weeks ago and he said he was going to France to meet the Foreign agency and at that time they would have discussion with them pertaining to our payment,” he stated. “They returned from France and spoke of geothermal and has yet to mention a position on money.”
The infuriated president also pointed out that not one word has been received from the government concerning payment for the truckers and added that they were promised payment by the end of June 2013.
He is also accusing the government of taking advantage of the truckers by what he described as “pushing them around.”
“People are getting to drive on good roads and our backs are against the wall because nobody cares about truckers,” he noted. “There was a storm this week and we could not put anything in our homes for our families because we do not have the money to do so. We just had to sit and hope that nothing happened or wait for the wind to throw down a coconut tree for us to eat dry coconut.”
Laudat indicated that the authorities do not answer their phones when called or respond to emails sent to them and an emergency meeting will soon be held to plot the truckers next move.
The truckers assigned to work on this road project have stopped working on the project for several weeks.
This has resulted in a further set back for the project.
The project commenced in 2011 and contractor Jacques Gardakhan was charged with the responsibility of paying the truckers on that project before the government took over. Laudat also mentioned that suppliers have also not been receiving payment for their supplies.
Attempts to contact Public Works Minister, Rayburn Blackmore, on the matter proved futile.
$27,000,000.oo. I think the truckers should stop worrying about the money and think of what Skerrit said; we can stand on the street and feel proud to see our white house. What need we of money when we have pride?
This leadership is a joke. So much more could have been done for this country in their time at the helm. Contracts are being signed between Dominica and China without any disclosure. I’m still asking what is in the MOU between Dominica and China.
I’m just saying.
What we need is for the contracts to be made public and interpreted by someone with legal training to say whether or not these agreements which were signed are properly drafted or not. I say this because there contract should protect the drivers and the state in the event that something goes wrong. Garcon, call for the agreement to be made public eh………..call Blackmore, Blackmore and Associates and tell them to provide us, the tax payers with the contract for review…..hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Poor Truckers were led on by an expert group of Leaders on.They have been leading the rest of the Country on in a similar fashion.Yo Ka qyonneh nous toot!
For How long? Not Long!
It is so bad they could not even come up with a good lie except to shirk the responsibility.Since when there is a limit to a Minister’s power in His department?Blackmore was unable to say that the Minister of finance is the one to answer You .
Let’s see what 10 truck loads of stones dumped on the Roseau/China bridge would look like for a change.
I would like to know when this project will be cimplete,Mr. Blackmoore had said last year December,has he given a new date,Bobol is a terrible thing in a country ,sometimes I wonder when my country will get out of this mess.
o help i jah this project might never finish truckers do something to get ur money
take all stick like big man nah
https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/economy-development/new-completion-date-for-mellville-hall-airport-road-project/
The Tipper Truckers Association, in my opinion, is one of the most powerful organizations in Dominica.In that Association, it would appear are many Skerrit lovers,therefore,they will not put pressure on the Government. It would also appear that their love for the man is more important then their empty pockets.The Association has in excess of twenty hudge trucks,if they really want to pressure Government for their money,one friday between the hours of twelve and two pm just drive those trucks from Canefield to New Town and back,I rest my case.
I see a few jacks on acard. Are u kidding me. Man park rhe trucks… All u really sot.
Why go to work when you are not paid for your time. NO PAY, NO WORK, PERIOD.
These truckers must be joking……seven months? Let Skerrit call a motorcade now, see who would be transporting people in red………the same truckers!!
I want Skerrit to apply more pressure,because Dominicans are not feeling it…….. Squeeze them Skerrit, squeeze them till their manhood comes out in their mouth!!!
Hey, fellas!!! How come no one taking responsibility for the failure of this project and all the fiascos involving payment, cost, money?? How come Blackmore in that nuh??/ Every time I listen to dem fellas talking on radio about money, where they get it, who recieved it, who negotiated it, garcon is Skeritt name I hearing wee!! Now the project is collapsing, no one saying that Skeritt negotiated anything on this one…….it looks like he is so afraid of it that he will not even attempt to save it by coming in and exercising his negotiating skills here eh!!! HEY, SKERRO, COME AND HELP THOSE FELLAS EH GARCON, DEY SAY THAT ONLY YOU ARE CAPABLE OF HANDLING FINANCIAL MATTERS AND IF NOT YOU, WHO ELSE!!!!!!!!!! HMMMMMMMMMM
The truth is that I think that all sorts of mistakes were made by whomever it was he ‘negotiated’ this project and its terms and conditions, penalties for going over the agreed time period for completion etc. and that those responsible for that failure are unwilling to talk about this in the media for fear of being asked the difficult questions and being unable to satisfactorily answer them. Blackmore/Blackmore and associates have to answer the questions in relation to this fiasco. They all have said repeatedly that Skeritt is such a good negotiator and is THE ONLY ONE who can go out there and get Dominica so much money. So, was Skerro one of those who negotiated this deal?? If not, then he should deal with those who did such a shambolic job of it and HEADS SHOULD ROLE!! But they are all protecting the mediocrity within there government in order to safeguard the cash cow from which they all seem to be benefiting!!! Hmmmmmmmmmmm
NACINIMOD, if you listen to tape recordings of the ministers of government talking over the years, THEY HAVE REPEATEDLY DISRESPECTED THEIR CONSTITUENTS!!!!!! Over and over again!!!!!!! Nothing new here…..
all you just like to bark but all you have no teeth to bite…lmao
The Truckers FRAID their employer JACK GADDERKHAN so they playing foolish politics by blaming the Government, but they know damn well the Government not owing them a black cent!!!!!
Take Gadderkhan to Court man damn it!!! If it was a poor malaway like me that wass owing them all now they would be dragging my backside to Court…. Wicked Souls!!!!!!
You are an idiot Joe. Why would the truckers be afraid of Gadakkan. If so why does a foreign contractor in our country intimidate Truckers and Subcontractors? Why is the ministry of Labor so quiet while according to you Gadakkan is violating our Labor Laws? Why isn’t the government able to fire Gadakkan for imposing slavery on Truckers,subcontractors and tradesmen? Joe if you contracted a builder and the builder is severely delaying your project would you not seek to fire that contractor?
Before you make a fool of yourself why don’t you answer the relevant questions. Stop making wearing that badge that Pierro prescribe for you Laborites.
take all u blows!
So the government can give people free money in red clinic every week, yet it cannot pay the truckers who are working on the airport road for 7 months?
Only in DA
I am old enough to have seen three different government administrations in Dominica. I must admit never have I seen such madness, corruption, poverty, stagnation and stupidity.
Under the Freedom Party we had major capital projects including projects built by foreign contractor with 60% labor by Dominicans,; we had built our own feeder roads. I remember the coconut rehabilitation /expansion program – we built our own roads. The DFP and the people of Dominica we rebuilt our country after we were flattened by Hurricane David 1979 and some damages by hurrican Alleyne 19881. The UWP came in in less than 5 years and we never saw this fiasco that we are experiencing today. Now note we are supposedly a more enlightened people, more educated and equipped yet we have become the laughing doll of the Eastern Caribbean.
Where in the world can something like that happen. I am left to wonder whether or not the truckers have been tranquilized for the last 8 months or are they that loyal to the party in power that they would put the party before the well being of their family food pantry, electricity bills, cell phones,internet. I would like to believe that these truckers have not been able to see the news on TV or the internet where people have been standing u for their rights.
It is easy to say let the truckers drink their own vomit but there is an inevitable dominoe effect – the entire food chain is affected – the lady selling bakes and codfish, the gas station owner, the tire repair man, the roast plantain and roast corn lady, Digecell, Lime, the banks, the bank workers da da da da. We wonder why we are in such a position, the economy is in duldrum, people unemployed and we are on the brink of a major collapse. Too many of us sat by making excuses. Too many of us have failed to call out the problem. How do we expect solutions while we burry our heads in the sand
Well said Greg, well said!!!! I have said this before. The drivers of these trucks have a hell of a lot of patience and I do not get it. there seems to be a fear of them losing the jobs and so they seem to be afraid to face up to the challenge! Hey, it takes all of those affected acting individually to show strength and let the government know that enough is enough!! People, you cannot remain silent as your country collapses or you will be complicit in the actions of those who destroy it!! Rise up and walk, rise up and talk!!!! Exercise your constitutional rights to express yourself on behalf of your country!!!!! Please Dominicans, make a change….give Da a chance!!!!!!
JOKERS
KERS
Lol. Let us be reminded that this is not the first time that truckers have had to deal with the nonpayment of dues on this very same project.
What is obvious to me is that the government is hiding something and MR Blackmore is at the point where he ran out of excuses or must I say Lies.
After lying and blaming the contractor these inept admitted that the project ran out of money. Our government took out another loan on the very same project. It was then Blackmore said that two additional contractors were hired to help take the project home at the end of 2012. Well we crossed the halfway mark of 2013 and truckers and muffled subcontractors are saying they have not been paid in over 7 months.
In as much as some apologists would like us to believe that the government is clean simple logic and simple rules of engagement (even kinder garden kids will know that this is not so. The government and minister Blackmore is ultimately responsible for the unpaid wages and services. If this was a private project the mechanic lien would take effect. I wonder whether performance and payment bonds were included in the general conditions. But then again it is no secrete that the general contractor was not just a “competing Bidder”- whatever that means in our current capital project procurement system.
How can a major capital project become so comical. if this is not a hardcore testimony and evidence of a government administration lost and discombobulated then what is. Our government has all the right reasons to be anxious about the successful completion of this project. There are families to feed, revenue flow, taxes to collect and the occasion for grand standing for the upcoming election. Now why would the government not be eager to see this project through. After all this is one of the very few projects that the people can partially claim as it was not solely built by chinese( felt like I had to say this) Is it that the second tranche of money is gone? Is it that the trip to France did not yield a third loan for the same project? Is the black list part of the reason why there is a bottle neck in the cash flow? Did the money go into other areas like say civil servants salaries or to pay public works for money owed – just asking. Is it that the second loan was only able to cover pending expenses that accumulated prior to the second loan – like payment to truckers, subs and the general contractor’s out of pocket expenses.
Whatever the case maybe logic tells us that Gadakkan is not the problem nor is AFD. Who then or what then is the problem.
There is always an option people. STRIKE. To much talking. Action speaks louder than words
AMEN.
Since the Government can’t pay their bills they should not be given credit. Put them on a pre-paid account. They pay X amount and they Get X amount of work. If they want more done pay the piper first!
good for them bc next election they will still be bribed,blackmore dont give a hoot about you all.
In which place on earth except Dominica could truckers not be paid for the past seven months and all they do is gripe about it?
One scandal after the orther, isn’t there anything that Skerrit and Co can do properly
when workers was in power people were quick to demonstrate. what you gonna do now that your back is against the wall? oh i know! they will just talk ,talk,talk no action.pathetic!!!! no wonder we have a parrot on our national flag,blah blah blah.
Is that what the Parrot signifies, TALK?
Short sighted! Government must select contractors who have the financial and technical capability to do the work and must be realistic taking into account the terrain and environmental conditions in which the work is done. A sound contractor should not have to rely on immediate cash in hand to meet its financial obligations! Its not about what looks like a good bid in terms of time and cost and being “bon jean” with a contractor as that will come back to bite you. Dominicans deserve more accountability from their administration; but also project management has been a failure. After all, it was said that the project would have finished by December 2012 as the FINAL extension! Where is the communication?
Well Pedro, it is yet another manifestation of the government’s inability to negotiate terms and conditions properly. There are supposed to be clauses in there which will put the responsibility of cost on the contractor if the work is not finished within a certain period and there are extra costs due to an over run of the project. Instead Blackmore goes off to find one or two more contractors to assist, contractors who also have to be paid from the same pot of money originally put aside and probably finished seeing that the project has now over run its scheduled time period. The money for the truckers is probably being used to pay these contractors as best they can in a hope of finishing the project and so the truckers are sidelined. Soon they will put Chinese to drive trucks to finish the project and the Dominican drivers will be without work or pay!!! And my friends, THE FRENCH ARE WATCHING!!!! The PM, Blackmore, Blackmore and associates travelled to France and spoke to them about geothermal but probably never raised this issue as it would have been to their detriment! It would have highlighted their past failings with French money and the French would have thought again!! So truckers, my brothers, you guys are going to have to lead the way for change or park the trucks because the Chinese will be rolling into your place soon with their own trucks and low paid labour!! Don’t be impressed by their ‘work ethic’ because they may well be performing EXCELLENTLY because they are forced to OR ELSE!!!! Wake up truckers, wake up Dominicans………Weh, weh, weh, weh, weh!!!!
Do you pay when the project is complete? You are right, the Government is not responsible to pay the workers, the CONTRACTOR.
****The CONTRACTOR is****
Peter who wants accountability when we have dimples and corruption
Man you guys are a bunch of JOKERS. Take All U Blows.
Attempts to contact Public Works Minister, Rayburn Blackmore, on the matter proved futile.
Here is your answer right there. I can’t how can a Minister be so disrespectful to his constituents or to the people in general. Isn’t there a Government Responsibility Department or “ombudsman” to help expedite such issues?
NACINIMOD, if you listen to tape recordings of the ministers of government talking over the years, THEY HAVE REPEATEDLY DISRESPECTED THEIR CONSTITUENTS!!!!!! Over and over again!!!!!!! Nothing new here…..