(Barbados Nation) A series of rates and conditions of service have been put in place for people in the construction sector employed by firms which have been awarded Government contracts.
Minister of Labour Colin Jordan outlined some of the terms during a Ministerial Statement in the House of Assembly on Friday, and warned they would also be stamping out “malpractices in the industry”.
“Over many years allegations have been made of unacceptable people management practices in various sectors of the economy. In recent decades it has been particularly acute in the construction industry,” Jordan noted.
“The allegations include rates of pay by some companies that are lower than rates generally paid in the sector; the engaging of workers under the guise of sub-contractor when the workers are really employees; not making deductions for contributions to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) as required by law; not paying the employer amounts to the NIS; deducting contract retention from the wages of employees, forcing employees to procure and pay for their own uniforms, among others . . . .”
Fees
• Maid or flag person – not less than $8.50 per hour.
• General worker or pump assistant – not less than $11 per hour.
• Bobcat or small roller operator – not less than $14 per hour.
• Welder or electrician Class B – not less than $15 per hour.
• Backhoe or low-loader operator – not less than $19 an hour.
• Caterpillar D 6, bulldozer operator – not less than $23 an hour.
• Workshop foreman or Kamatsu 450 excavator operator – not less than $25 an hour.
• Caterpillar D or Kamatsu D 275 bulldozer operator – not less than $30 per hour.
