Scores of construction workers face losing their jobs.
A 35-year-old company may soon close, while two others are struggling to stay afloat and a number of small contractors are facing financial ruin.
This is due largely to the delay in building three pipelines to push water into southern and eastern Barbados to facilitate a number of stalled construction projects.
Investigations by the SUNDAY SUN revealed that starting the pipeline project would immediately prevent Arthur Construction from closing and save 20 jobs, while nearly 120 people laid off by Arthur Construction, Rayside Construction and C. O. Williams Construction would be re-employed. These three companies won the contracts to build the pipelines.
And in nine months when the project should be completed, it would ensure the housing developments approved by the Town Planning Department but stalled because of an insufficient water supply would be able to start.
Though the benefits of this project, which was first raised in May 2010 by the Barbados Water Authority (BWA), are recognized, the delay has been due to ongoing issues between them and the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU). The union suggests otherwise.
