So-called labour concerns at Marriot construction site are more political than real - President Ramotar

President Donald Ramotar said the issues surrounding Chinese workers who are constructing the Marriott Hotel in Guyana are more political in nature rather than a genuine concern for Guyanese.

Responding to questions during a press conference at the Miami Hilton on Saturday, the President dismissed the suggestion that allowing Chinese skilled workers to construct the hotel is an indication that Guyana lacks the skills. “That’s not the issue; in fact to me, when I look at the issue, I think it’s more like the opposition looking for an issue to try to make a fight, because one- a lot of Guyanese are being employed, because contractors supply all the concrete work, security services, many other services that the contractor needs in building the hotel are being supplied there… I think Guyanese have done more construction in the Caribbean than any other group of people so it’s not that we don’t  have capable people and so forth as they are saying,” the President explained.

He noted that there is a contract with the Chinese which, by allowing them to use Chinese workers on the project, Guyana benefitted from a huge discount on the project.

“We have a contract with the Chinese to build the Marriot hotel. That contract was gone into; part of it we had a discount to allow the Chinese to come in, from US$65 million to US$51 million in the construction of the hotel,” the Head of State said.

He said while there is not a lack of skilled Guyanese, the demand for their services is very high, especially in Guyana’s current construction boom.

“Many local employers are now asking us to allow them to bring in some labour sometimes to do some work within the system, and if you look too and where I sit I will see this. Many of the projects we have because of the volume of work that exists within our country at this time , almost every single contractor is behind time because of the volume of work that they have, I will give you one example, the Black Bush Polder road was one year behind time and if you make a thorough examination of all these, we have the Hope Canal going on now and some sections too are behind schedule, largely not because of the lack of skills, but because of the lack of labour,” the President said.

The Guyanese leader also pointed out that a large number of skilled Guyanese have now been absorbed into the mining sector, which has been growing extensively in recent times.

“ A lot of people have been absorbed into the gold industry. For instance, it is very difficult on the coast now to get a heavy-duty operator, a dragline operator; most of them have gone into the interior, because they work for a quarter million or half a million Guyana dollars a month in there. So the economy has been growing and has been absorbing a lot of labour; all the facts are there… The construction sector in Guyana has grown enormously. We are building new roads to the airport; they are also struggling (behind schedule). So in my own view this is more political, than it is real.”

The use of Chinese labour in the ongoing construction of the Marriott prompted a picketing exercise by opposition entities at the site and a threat by the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) to take court action.