Operations at the Public Works Corportaion was severely affected on Monday following what appears to be a sickout by members of staff.
Manager of the PWC, Eddie Henry, said about 80 percent of staff reported ill and cited financial problems as the probable cause of the whole situation.
“It has disrupted our work flow,” he said.
He pointed out that the company has not been able to pay wages for about three fortnights now and blamed clients who had not paid PWC, for the problem.
“A lot of our clients are not paying and we have not been able to collet for various reasons,” Henry stated. “Hence the situation. It is not because we have not found work. It is because we are unable to collect the funds that are generated by the work that we do.”
He was quick to pointed out that the PWC is making the effort to have all outstanding wages paid.
“I hope this measure is a temporary measure just to raise awareness because people at the end of the day want other people to understand their plight and also to bring their own situation to the fore,” the PWC boss said. “Having said that, the PWC has the responsibility to complete all ongoing projects that it has within schedule.”
He said if the corporation collects some of the monies own, the problem may be be resolved by the middle of the week. “We have begun to collect some monies from some of our clients, so I am hoping that we should be able to collect enough …. hopefully by Wednesday to collect enough to take care of this,” Henry remarked.
Public Works should be privatised completely and before some of you run and say I dont know what I talking about. It is privatised already…Let me be clear it should be fully privatised meaning no government lackeys on the board simple……I am not anti govt but clearly the current formula vis a vis the whole management structure is not working….I cannot understand how PWC management can come talking about they do the work and they not getting paid etc rubbish……Companies of this structure and size particularly in the Construction industry are not mom and pops establishments (to use the slang) When any company tenders for and wins a bid before any work is done a mobilization fee of usually 10% of the value of the contract is paid. Then working with a gant chart, then as the work progresses valuations are submited by the contractor and after the works are certified as completed by a clerk of works or project loason officer these valuations are paid….The only money held back is a retention fee and that is only held for a certain amount of time mutually agreed upon by both parties which is released once the time has elapsed and the works show no signs of deffects. I am utterly sick of people coming to us as Dominicans with these lame excuses and expect us to swallow their BS. We are an informed people and we no longer take the word of anyone as gospel. we read. we inform ourselves. If you come to us and tell us that you have no money to pay these workers for the reasons you have advanced then it is one of two things wrong…either you are the worse manager in history because you work and then hope to get paid which is clearly not the way the industry operates as I have outlined. or you are the worse manager in history because you received payment for all your valuations and you after poor management and squandering are looking to these companies who may have retention fees for PWC as per agreed upon by both parties…..If the latter is correct then your management skill and style leaves alot to be desired Sir…..And you should resign…SMH
Your first sentence is so true, “it should be privatised completely” as clearly this current arrangement is not working. The PWC is a statutory corporation governed by a BOD who report to the Minister of PWE&P. Any loans or overdraft facilities have to be guaranteed by the government. The PWC mandate is to maintain and build road networks around the island. Who owns the roads??? Isn’t it the government??? Isn’t this the reason why their biggest and main customer is the government of Dominica??? And even when they are a part contractor or sub-contractor on a road project, isn’t the government still the customer!!! Either directly or indirectly it still goes back to the government! So when their “customers” cannot pay who should we blame??? Should they take their customers/ owners to court??? The truth is the PWC is like a child being severely abused by their parents and not even the Welfare division can intervene. They have been funding the governments agenda by over-committing themselves to ensure that the government looks good.
You would realise that this has been going on for some years now and every time the employees strike who pays the money…the government! It’s not a favour they are doing the PWC…some way…some how…they cough up the dough they’re owing. Are you seriously telling us that you who seem to have an insight can blame the general manager??? Magway sa!!! You know better than that!!! You must listen to the budget for the MPWE&P and watch and analyze the number of road projects being undertaken and see the imbalance, ask whether they have not surpassed the budget and if so where did the additional funding come from or who is being owed.
Stop playing politics with the affairs of the country!!!!!!!!!!
I am very happy to read your comment and I agree with your trend of thought It is refreshing to read I love being engaged like this it is a rare thing to find these days…….That being said if you would read the first three sentences of my presentation again you will see that i am far from being political or becoming political on this issue……If you say that government is the sole or main client of the department then why are they not being paid for work done? but the article quoted the manager as saying “Some CLients” not “our main CLient” Maybe he was just being politically correct in his statement but if he wasnt, clients being plural speaks to multiple entities……just my thought trend
as sad as the situation is everyone saying why government can’t pay them. u guys forgetting that PWC is a private cooperation governed by a board of directors who have contracts for projects however have not gotten paid for doing those projects. so although te government can play a part it is still up to the board to ensure that this doesn’t keep happening. they have no reserve fund when times like these hit.
But what exactly do they do at Public Works? Everytime I pass by there’s always guys just hanging around talking, calling women, hanging around. The streets, even behind the department is filled with pot holes. I mean not to say these guys do a good job anyway. I swear it’s just greediness and laziness. I could be wrong but I just don’t see a reason for this.
What are u saying…..are u crazy 6weeks no psy and you call the workers greedy..why dont you donate y pay…u sound ignorant
He is not ignorant just observant
The workers need to get paid. As it is there is no incenttive or motivation. Perhaps the place reflects the mood, it looks like a tip.
So what they trying to say is that PWC has no money in the bank to pay there workers either
So wait awhile!! I understand they need to get paid, dont they have bank accounts to cover workers when these type ofsituations arises, where d money skerro,! Pay them damn ppl n stop around man choopz
poor management..period!
Go to red clinic!
poor management..period!
It’s world wide guys.The work is on the rise but the pay is stagnant and in some cases decreasing.
However thank GOD if you’ve got a place to go too at 8:am or whatever time of the day you’ve got to get there,for there are many that are out and is looking real hard to get in.
Why would leave y house and go too work snd don t get paid…not half pay but 0
Only Dominicans would consider it not necessary to have a public works department. What happens when there is a natural disaster and the private contractors cannot or will not respond?
The workers of the Public Garage must be careful with their actions,their is a rumour that Government intends to sell the land for an interested party who intends to build a hotel,therefore,they could take that opportunity to close the Garage,be careful brothers.
So let the GOVT send they home if PWC is a failed institution. Human beings are resiliency and will find ways to support them….what is the fear if govt dont do for you, you cannot do for yourself that is instill in the people so they are then enslaved.
It is better to be unemploy than to work not get paid and then be unable to support oneselves. This is call modern day slavery!
While everybody rejoicing about an illegal ruler who has millions to build unnecessary palace and supporting failing enterprises, his administration cannot pay the same people who keep them there for months. How then can I have sympathy for their plight.
Is the government so broke that they have to wait to be paid before they pay?.
And if that is the case, why hasn’t the person or persons who are charged with the collection task not sacked.
the first thing allu like to do is jump on the ruler back!!! if u did some research you would find out the PWC is not under govt. in the article, the boss said that clients have not paid. he did not say the govt did not pay. read to understand and stop jumping to conclusions
Do you really think the boss can publicly say the government owing the money??? You want them to victimize de man…..he have children to feed!
How do you know which party these worked supported or voted for? Be that as it may, it is their DEMOCRATIC right to vote, support or take sides with which ever political party that suits them. You can have sympathy for their plight, because they aren’t begging, they worked for their money and deserve to be paid. They may be powerless in all of this. Politics has erased even the humanity from some of you, truly sad. When a man works and can’t feed his family, or meet his obligations, and your defense is based on what party they cast ballots for it’s sickening.
The poor PWC employees are only shooting themselves in the foot. The Govt., as the sole owner of that company, would not mind for it to bleed to death as it is only costing them money and causing thenm headache. They could let it go into administration and liquidate any assets There is plenty of capacity, equipment and expertise in the private sector to do what PWC does and they would not have to find an alternative site for them.
Sakway potanse!! Once some of you THINK you are ok, you all advocate misery for others! You need to be liquidated and flushed yourself…
You are talking real crap. People have not been paid for 6 weeks and they ought to simply go on and continue busins as usual as if life is a bed of roses?? Not because things are good for you ….. you can simply ignore the plight of persons poorer than you!
If your company would do the same to you, would you advocate that they close shop by going into liquidation? Some of you are so insenstive. The reality is they have worked and should be paid. Everybody else gets paid. So now you are ignorantly advocating instead government honour their bills, they liquidate and put people of out work? Have you even considered the dominio effect or is your head so far up an imaginary cloud? SMFH
The PWC has almost 100 employees, would you like to see all these families without an income??????
Well sah, PWC surviving from hand to mouth man? Shouldn’t there be enough money in the bank account to be able to pay salaries in situations like this?
Where are the reserve funds? It seems the PWC on very shaky ground man.
Any how let’s hope you collect the money so the people can get paid. It is really unfair to the workers to work and not get their wages.