by Linda Straker
- Programme employees hundreds twice or three times per year
- Workers were previously assigned tasks to be completed over a 10-day period
- Cornwall spoke at joint townhall meeting with Joseph Andall
Infrastructure Minister Dennis Cornwall has described the debushing programme as a “political gimmick” and announced that the Dickon Mitchell administration will be making changes to the seasonal work programme that employs hundreds over a 6 – 8 week period twice or three times per year.
“To me, debushing was a political gimmick to basically provide jobs for people who they have impoverished over the years. Where else in the world can you go and you work from let’s say 6 am to 9 am and get a full day’s pay?” Cornwall said during a town meeting in St Patrick on Wednesday, 19 October 2022. He is the Member of Parliament for St Patrick East.
“That to me has to change. The people who are supposed to be getting into debushing should have a permanent job, meaning that you come to work 8 in the morning and work until 4 pm, get an hourly pay so that you will do your work to get whatever money is being paid at the end of the day,” the Infrastructure Minister said.
“If you don’t do that you will be basically putting money down the drain to support a particular constituent that you depend on to vote for you at the end of the day.” Cornwall spoke at the joint townhall meeting which also featured Joseph Andall, the Member of Parliament for St Patrick West who serves as Foreign Affairs Minister.
“So, the fact remains that we are not happy with what we met inside there, and we are going to change this process to ensure that we get value for money with debushing.” Cornwall is of the opinion that people need to understand the term “value of money.”
“We need to get our people to understand that we got to have value for money on most of the things we are doing…Debushing, obviously we don’t like what is happening with debushing over the years,” he added.
Under the previous New National Party (NNP) government, the debushing workers were assigned measured tasks to be completed over a 10-day period. The workers engaged in manual labour that involves cutting grass on the sides of the road, cutting overhangings, and clearing drains during the early morning periods to avoid the sweltering sunshine and heat.
The debushing program should be revamped and a permanent road improvement program established.. I Carriacou I see no emphasis on drainage nor road surface. The service is severely limited to particular areas. For example, from Six Roads one can see the Dumfries gate; but the program starts at Six Roads and ends a short distance after the gate and is repeated leaving the farmers in the Sabazan area to contend with the bushes encroaching on the road.
The work times and hourly wages could be decided during consultations. Distance is not a useful measure as different sections of the roads have different demands.
How would people perform better in the hot sun for all these hours? From since the early days people used to do tasks in the estates and some folks used to make two task for the day, it measured 10 rods × 8 rods which was plenty work for$2:50 cents per task. Give the debushig their task and allow them to do it as early as they can, don’t bring back this slavery thing of the past. You are sitting in a air condition office, them out in the sun.
The word political gimmick leaves me to wonder… What do you call giving the same gangs the whole 2 contracts to work with only your supporters? I have seen it August to September in St. Davids.
All,
we have these people coming out at 6.30 and finishing at 8.00 or before. they claim to ONLY to be employed to either clean the drain or to de bush. they say another gang will come to de bush or at a later date – however, they never do. how much common sense and/or economic sense this makes. on top of this .. 1 man with a weed eater and 2 men cleaning can do the job that, get this: 9 people are doing.. any wonder why we are (3rd) world..
Mr. moderator /owner let’s see if you censor and delete this post..
Not sure about working people so hard for so little (are they raising the pay?), but he’s totally right this was a political gimmick — it’s literally a sign that election is coming. If they employ people of every color now, then this is a welcome change.
What kinda slave work the minister promoting? I hope the minister knows that should be provided required breaks to contend with the hot sun.
While everyone should expect to put fair days work for a fair days pay, I don’t think stretching folks in the hot sun to prove they must work hard is beneficial.
What is the hourly wage or Day wage?
If workers can come out early and perform the task with high production, there is not need to interfere.
That sounds like micromanagement.
On the other hand, the eat ah food mentality has taken over. The very same Grenadians who quick to call corruption are the same ones willing to get paid for doing nothing…as result, the viscous cycle continues.
In other countries, they have to contend with extreme cold. I haven’t seen a country like that where outside workers only work midday when the temperatures would typically be at there warmest.
I guess that Grenada leads the way in humanitarian leadership!
Not sure where you speak of but when temperature pass certain workers are mandated to take frequent breaks and some cases works get shut down. And no I am talking about Saudi Arabia which exploit migrant workers. Unless, this is something you think Grenada should emulate.
As for cold temperatures, there are places where workers are only subjected to extreme cold conditions in short intervals. Not only that, workers must be adequately dressed for the conditions. Unless, workers safety is not a priority and work fatalities are common. Again, unless, you think Grenada emulate unsafe work practices.
There must be stringent laws that all must follow and should not be left up to handful to interpret.
Labor Laws should be left up to color politics.
I must add, for the little bit of money paid to folks in Grenada, folks should have option to work five or hour part time hours which ever suitable.