Construction stopped on new Point Fortin hospital

OVER 50 workers at the construction site of the new Point Fortin hospital yesterday downed tools to protest non-payments of salaries. The workers said they have not been paid for the past two weeks and are being given a run around.

From as early as 7am the frustrated workers, armed with placards, stood in front the entrance to the construction site.

They said enough was enough.

“We are fed up and have had enough with the excuses,” one worker told Newsday.

“We have families to provide for, children to send to school and bills to pay.

“ All we are asking is for the money we worked for.

“This is our money we worked hard for.”

The workers at the multi-million dollar construction site are vowing to stay off the job until they are paid.

They said they are being told that the contractors are refusing to pay the sub-contractors, who in turn cannot pay them.

“They are saying they don’t have the money to pay us, and if any worker stands up for himself they are victimised.

“Why are they treating the workers like this? We all have responsibilities.

“Some of us had to borrow money from family members and friends.

“That is how we have been surviving for the past two weeks. How long will we wait until we get our money?”

The hospital is expected to be completed in May 2019 at a cost of $1.2 billion.

The contractor is the Austrian firm VAMED GmbH & Co KG.

The hospital was commissioned through an arrangement with the Austrian government. The sod was turned on May 21, 2015, by former health minister Dr Fuad Khan.