Operators raise a stink over sewage works
Water Authority works in progress to install new sewage pipe
(CNS): Local heavy equipment operators are complaining about a Water Authority project to lay a new pipeline and say it’s more than the sewage that stinks. Caymanian subcontractors claim that, despite the availability of local machinery and operators, the US firm which secured the work was given the green light by government to bring in its own equipment, pushing locals out of work. The Water Authority said the work to replace a sewer force main needed specialist equipment and the contractor made every effort to ensure that local labour and equipment was used wherever possible.
However, a representative of local operators said that only one piece of specialist equipment shipped in by the contractor was unavailable on island. The other four pieces — an excavator, a roller, a forklift and a front loader — were all available here, he said.
Concerned that government is allowing overseas contractors to marginalize local subcontractors, Independent MLA Ezzard Miller said that if public contracts are not given to local workers, the private sector could be expected to follow suit.
“This is what annoys me,” he said. “If government won’t employ our own local operators, what hope is there? We have got to stop this.”
Miller pointed out that any effort by government to encourage the business community to use local labour is completely undermined when its own agencies are allowing overseas contractors to bypass Caymanians.
But the Water authority denied that the Florida firm, Wharton-Smith, was not using local resources and said the only equipment it was allowed to bring from the US was not available in Cayman.
“Wharton-Smith, Inc. was allowed to bring in the specialised equipment required to install the new HDPE pipeline, including but not limited to a pipe welding machine, an excavator with extended boom and a dual-purpose front-end loader,” a Water Authority spokesperson stated. “These specialised pieces of equipment are necessary to ensure that this important infrastructure upgrade can be undertaken in a timely manner to reduce the impact on customers and the motoring public. Indeed, the entire project is expected to reach completion at least one month ahead of schedule.”
The authority added that the contractor had made every effort to ensure that local labour and equipment was used.
“Although one local subcontractor chose to terminate their contract with Wharton-Smith, Inc., four members of the project team were employed through East End Labour and two local dump trucks and drivers were hired to haul material to and from the work site,” a WA spokesperson said.
The work involves replacing the current sewer force main that connects the main sewage pumping station on the West Bay Road and the authority’s wastewater treatment plant with a new high density polyethylene pipeline. Work began in January and the spokesperson said the Water Authority’s priority was to ensure that all work “occurs as safely and efficiently as possible” and that customers and the public were not unduly inconvenienced.
“This project is vital to the authority’s ability to act upon its mission statement, part of which is to provide for the collection, treatment and disposal of sewage within these islands in a manner that is safe, efficient and affordable. The authority thanks its customers and the general public for their continued patience and understanding over the course of this project,” the spokesperson added.
The public can check and follow the progress of the works via the WA’s Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages.
Category: Jobs, Local News
Was the US Firm able to bid 60% lower than the local rate BECAUSE they would have the import duty waived to bring in the equipment to do the job?
Just because a company underbids by 60% doesn’t mean that Gov will actually end up paying the “lower” price. In many cases, companies underbid purposely to get foot in the door and then charge back through other avenues to make up the margins.
At the end, what looked like a good “bargain” really isn’t that much of a bargain.
Chickens come home to roost bobo!
Rip people off for years, da wha ya get!
There was no reason for them to bring in any equipment besides the welding equipment. All other equipment is available on island -our local companies are more than capable of doing that job!
CUC has just installed a similar pipe line for their new power plant, and they used all local equipment to do this. It was also completed before the alloted time. Why can’t government do the same!!
Enough is enough. If this article is correct in quoting Water Authority as saying that the equipment was specialized, now I know we’re in a real mess for anyone in WA. To state that a excavator, loader, forklift and a roller was imported because it was specialized. Which hole is he or she living in? I cross that same type of equipment working or parked waiting for WORK on my way to work every morning.
CUC put in a pipe line of same material but larger in diameter last year. The project was done by a local contractor and heavy equipment company.The only equipment imported was machine to join (weld) the lengths of pipe together.
NOW the government is telling us in heavy equipment to hire locals when possible. Practice what you preach.
This issue really shows how the Government is treating everyone on the Island, if you’re qualified, or got the equipment, or experience, or know how to do the job, Caymanians still don’t get a job and all they can do is sit back and watch the job be done and the money go out the Islands , and their families starve.
I think that the politicians have forgotten that an election is coming up.
caymanian entitlement culture. end of story.
Wind is blowing from the north again
It’s common practice for some heavy equipment operators to sit on their phones half the time, take an hour for lunch in the cab, fuel up, change punctures, then still want to charge 10 hrs for a 7am to 5am shift.
We are not talking $6.00 per hour either, it can be anywhere from $45 – $200.
It adds up at the end of a week.
Water authority should print the equiptment that was brought into O’Hearn island that we do not have here . Welding Equeptment…. A come on ….. Exacacator ….. Fork lift….. Duel purpose front end loader…. (You can only use one end at a time). All here on island .
Sounds like Hazzard is making a lot of noise about nothing as usual.
welcome to the competive real world…you you local rip-off merchants!!!
It is a double edged sword – on the one hand, many local contractors have dollar signs flashing in front of their eyes if they are doing work for Government as they seem to think that they can get away with inflated pricing just because they are dealing with Government.
On the other hand, when companies are able to underbid each other by such big margins as one poster claims, the question is whether those companies abide by the labor laws. Perhaps, they are able to cut cost so low because they pay their employees crap wages, do not contribute to pension and do not provide proper health care coverage, do not pay mandatory overtime, vacation leave etc. Hell, in many cases the employee has to pay for his/her own permit!
Mebbe the WA shoulda gone to Deals and buy a bundle of 3/4″ schedule 40 pipe and a couple cans of purple cement……
The Government has an obligation to take a bid that is 60% lower than the local rate
Is it fair to compare the cost of local equipment, on which Import duty has been paid to the Government, with duty free equipment brought in by an overseas contractor?
But what about the wotes? It is woting season.
the question is: how can someone bring in equipment overseas and still be 60% cheaper???
answer: local companies are rip-off merchants.
Could also be because over seas companies don’t have to pay the rediculous high costs of living and doing business in Cayman, the strangling import duties for their equipment and materials, bring their own cheap labor, along with the million other things that Caymanians suffer at the hands of their own government. Then after the Caymanians pay all of this, the very same government rewards them with a kick in the ass and no work. Brilliant! Cayman has literally gone to shit. I am so happy I left and moved to a third world country.
With that attitude I, too, am glad you’re gone. Please don’t come back. (Or let your kids or grandkids come back, reclaiming status off your connection. It will be easier for everyone.)
You didn’t even have to mention it Captain Obvious….But I get what you’re saying, less Caymanians for you to trample.