Works employees who took protest action are replaced by National Housing workers on Cades Bay Bridge project
Protest action taken by Works employees on Monday, July 10 – in
support of a co-worker who was badly injured on the job – appears
to have angered Ministry of Works officials, since the protesting
workers have been removed from a project and replaced by
employees of National Housing.
A source tells REAL News that the Roads Department workers were
advised, this morning, July 11, that they were being pulled from the
Cades Bay bridge-restoration project. This, reportedly, was because
no work was done on the bridge on Monday due to the industrial
action taken.
On Tuesday morning, the source says, a truck – separate from the
one the workers are accustomed to using – was being readied for
the National Housing employees – many of whom, it is alleged, have
no knowledge of road construction or bridge work.
According to the source, the bridge is not even near completion,
since about 65 to 70 percent of the work is still to be done. Only the
draw, under which the water will flow through, has been completed,
as well as some steel work, the person says.
Meanwhile, the source says the Roads Department workers were
reassigned to the Grays Green Community, to a site near the
Greenbay Primary School where some casting work will be done.
He says they are not sure what their next assignment will be, adding
that they may not have much work to do.
There is speculation that the employees of National Housing are
being used to ensure that the bridge is completed ahead of the by-
election in St. Mary’s South to give the Labour Party candidate,
Samantha Marshall, an advantage.
More than two years after it had collapsed, work was begun on the
bridge after a vehicle carrying a retired police officer and his
daughter went over the side in late 2022. Fortunately, no one was
seriously injured.
Repair work was halted following the January 18 General Election,
but was recommenced after the by-election was confirmed.
Both the Ministry of Works and National Housing fall under the
purview of MP Maria Browne.