NUGFW, NHA at loggerheads over building of 426 housing units

THE National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW) said yesterday it was being frustrated in its plans to build 426 housing units, and it wants the Prime Minister to step in. NUGFW’s President-Gene-ral, Robert Giuseppi said: “We already have our land at Valsayn, but there seems to be some people who want to block us from building homes for workers.” He told a press conference that plans have already been drawn for the three- and two-bedroom houses, but for some strange reason, the National Housing Authority is “the fly in the ointment.” Giuseppi produced a Cabinet note to show that the lands were leased to the union since 1989. Clause ‘C’ of the note says: “The lands ref-erred to be leased to NUGFW Constructon Company Lim-ited for 199 years, the premium payable by the company to be the value assessed by the Commissioner of Valuations and rental on individual lots to be $10 per lot, per annum.”

Giuseppi said the union has been ready with the $2.5 million for the last 20 months, but the NHA is blocking the project by not finalising the lease. The 22 acres of land are in the vicinity of Real Spring, Valsayn where the union has had a housing scheme for almost 20 years. Not only does NUGFW have a housing scheme in Valsayn, but there is one at Lopinot as well. Giuseppi said in the past, the union has never had the probems it is currently encountering. He made it clear that if the NHA continues to get in the way of the union, it will “do its own thing.”