Labour shortage hits MoBay bypass
Published:Friday | November 17, 2023 | 12:13 AMMark Titus/Senior Gleaner Writer
THE MONTEGO Bay Perimeter Road Project in St James has been hit by a chronic shortage of labour, as locals are refusing the $3,000 being offered by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) for a day’s work, forcing the contractor to rely on the fairer sex to fill the roles.
A labourer earns $5,000 for a day’s work in the local construction sector.
The US$274.5M Design-Build contract was awarded to CHEC to construct the 14.9 kilometres Ironshore to Westgate thoroughfare.
The National Road Operating and Constructing Company Limited (NROCC) is the managing entity for the project.
“I can confirm that the contractor has communicated that they have experienced some challenges in finding labour,” Stephen Edwards, managing director of NROCC, told the news team. “But it is important to note that CHEC has signed a MOU with HEART/NSTA for the project, where CHEC will train hundreds of persons over the life of the project, who will all be certified.”
But The Gleaner has learned that there was a similar experience on the just-concluded Southern Highway Improvement Project, from May Pen to Williamsfield in Manchester, that forced the contractor to hire females for labour.
“They had to hire females from surrounding communities, because no one wanted to work for the rate the contractor is offering, and now we are seeing the same thing in Montego Bay, where we have to be taking on females.
“But we are looking at it because a lot of things have changed since the contract was negotiated and signed,” the source offered. “Minimum wage has gone up, inflation has gone up, a lot of things have changed.”
With the project in its early phase, there is confidence among the state entities involved that the labour issues will be sorted by the time work intensifies.