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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
 Posted - 31 Oct 2018 : 14:02:54
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Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Two Chinese staff working at the International Conference Centre (OIC), which is currently under construction at Bijilo on Tuesday protested in demand for the payment of their salaries.
President Adama Barrow in September 2017 laid the foundation stone for the 50 million-dollar grant International Conference Centre at the Monkey Park, Bijilo. The centre after completion will be able to host regional, sub-regional and international conferences as well as creating huge employment opportunities for youth, boost tourism and development.
The two Chinese staff that have been working at the conference centre since last year were reported to have besieged the generator at around the 10:00 a.m., protesting that there would be no work until their monies are paid. However, after 30 minutes of discussion between the protesting staff and the management, the protest was put on halt
Other staff also working at the OIC, mainly Gambians and Sierra Leoneans who spoke to our reporter and wish to remain anonymous described the working condition at the conference centre as ‘horrible’.
“We work more than 11 hours at the conference centre and are only paid D180 per day. This is totally slavery and sometimes we are subjected to maltreatment by the Chinese, particularly its Human Resource manager,” the staff told our reporter.
According to the staff, there were more than five hundred workers that started working at the conference centre as carpenters, electricians among others. However, due to the nature of the working environment many of them have now quit.
“We report to work at 8 a.m. and close at 6:30 p.m. in the evening and we are only allowed to break once during the day. Sometimes during working hours, if a Chinese find you standing, they will slap you. In fact if you work for overtime you are only paid 30 dalasis per hour,” an emotional staff added.
Another staff who was dismissed recently said the Chinese unlawfully terminated his contract. “I did not do anything that warrant for my contract to be terminated. I was just called at Human Resources Dept. and told that they no longer need my services without justification. The government should do something about this for the fact that this is totally slavery.”
The staff added that to have a helmet as a protective gear, there is a deduction D500 after starting work. “The Chinese are seriously maltreating us and no one is coming to our aid. With the little money that we get is what we almost use on fares. Some of us are staying up to Brikama, Gunjur, Lamin and other places.” They told our reporter that they are paid at the end of every two weeks.
Our reporter’s efforts to speak to the Human Resource manager at the conference centre proved futile as the PIU officer on duty did not allow him in.
Author: Momodou Jawo
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/workers-at-international-conference-centre-on-salary-protest
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2018 : 23:23:05
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Well now, there are always two sides to every story,the first report was on the 31st October 2018 and the second report by the same reporter was published in The Point on the 5th November 2018, Working for 11 hours a day with only one break for D180 is hard,if you are a family man with responsibilities and work choices are limited what should you do?
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Monday, November 05, 2018
Ebrima Sambou, a supervisor at the International Conference Centre that’s currently under construction at Bijilo has denied reports that workers at the ongoing site were subjected to slavery, slapping and unlawfully dismissal by the Chinese.
Sambou and his fellow supervisors walked into The Point on Friday, describing the allegation is unfounded and misleading. “This is not true. No staff at the site is subjected to slavery or slap by the Chinese while at work. We work as a team and in fact no one was dismissed unlawfully,” he told our reporter in an interview.”
Last week two Chinese staff working at the centre protested demanding payment of their salaries. They have been working at the conference centre since last year.They were reported to have besieged the generator at around 10:00 a.m., protesting that there would be no work until their monies are paid.
Angry staff at the site also claimed that they work more than 11 hours at the conference centre and are only paid D180 per day. “This is totally slavery and sometimes we are subjected to maltreatment by the Chinese, particularly its Human Resource manager,” staff said last week.
Mr. Sambou stated that no staff was forced to accept the payment of D180. “Any action taken by the management at the site; particular with regards to payment of the employees is always consulted. No one is forced and beside the rules and regulations at the centre are not to be compromised.”
According to him, staff at the centre are only dismissed when they break the rules and regulations within the site. Mr. Sambou admitted that D500 is deducted from staff over helmet issues. He however, added that the deduction of D500 from staff is as a result of guarantee, saying that once a staff wish to resign, then the individual is refunded the D500.
“Some of the staffs were dismissed at the centre because they steal materials, while others were sack as results of illicit drugs activities,” he said.
Musa Sanneh another supervisor at the site denied reports that staffs at the centre are subjected to maltreatment among others. He said all those staff complaining of wrongful dismissal did something wrong that triggered their sacking, adding that the Chinese are not maltreating them.
He acknowledges the fact that more than five hundred staffs were working at the centre, but the number has reduced. However, he said, it is not as result of the payment or maltreatment by Chinese.
Omar Kambi, the centre’s nurse said he has been working at the centre since the beginning of the project, adding that there has never been a time they were maltreated or subjected to slavery by the Chinese.
Author: Momodou Jawo
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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MONEY not flowing easily at building site.
