Adrian Frater, News Editor
Deputy Superintendent Linnett Williams-Martin (second left), the commanding officer of the Trelawny Police Division, gives an assurance to two Chinese employees of COMPLANT, that the police would secure their safety during yesterday's stand-off between Jamaicans and Chinese workers at the Greenfield site for a new cricket stadium in Florence Hall, Trelawny.
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE POLICE had to be called in at the new stadium complex site in Florence Hall, Trelawny, yesterday, as irate Jamaican workers shut down the site and threatened to wreak havoc following what they claimed was an attempt
by COMPLANT, the Chinese firm responsible for the project, to force them out of jobs.
The just under 100 Jamaican workers, employed to local sub-contractors CFC Construction Company, reportedly turned up to work yesterday and found their work station on the south stand dismantled and Chinese working in their stead.
"Nobody said nothing to us, we just come and find that them mash down we workstation and start working on our side of the project," said steel-worker Wilfred Smith. "We have to get bad ... Chinese can't treat us so in our own country."
As they went about venting their displeasure, the local workers invaded the section of the compound which houses the complex's main office and the living quarters of the Chinese, forcing a number of the Chinese workers to flee in fear for their lives. It was at that stage that the police were called in to restore order.
CALM RESTORED
Calm was restored following a four-hour meeting between CFC's chief executive officer, Delroy Christie, the police and representatives of COMPLANT. At the conclusion of the meeting, Mr. Christie told the workers that the matter was resolved and they should return to work.
"What the Chinese did came as a big surprise to me because, as far as I know, we had no problems," said Mr. Christie. "Even during the meeting, I never got a satisfactory answer as to why an attempt was made to displace the local workers."
However, a spokesman for COMPLANT, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the company was becoming increasingly unhappy with the slow pace of the Jamaican workers and that there was general fear that their slowness might impact the timely completion of the project.
While stating that he made no special concession in getting the matter resolved, Mr. Christie did admit that he agreed to a demand by COMPLANT that a section of the south stand, which falls under the purview of the local workers, be completed no later than May 10.
