LEFTOVER CHINESE

Though construction of the multi-million-dollar arts facility ended since 2009, a group of about 20 workers are still being kept in the country to do work on the facility, which is now closed and, according to State-commissioned reports, dogged with safety hazards.

These workers, whom locals say are often seen strolling home in single file at 5 pm each day, also reportedly do work on the Couva Children’s Hospital, another facility which was ostensibly completed years ago.

The workers live isolated lives.

Their daily walk is probably the furthest they get from their living quarters. The camp that houses them is not far from the Port-of- Spain jail and is next to the Living Water Community where refugees may seek asylum and where people such as President Anthony Carmona sometimes go to pray.

The camp, which is located behind the headquarters of SCG International (Caribbean) Ltd at Keate Street (which adjoins Charlotte Street) is enclosed by tall concrete walls, galvanise and barbed wire. Overgrown with vines, one gets an impression from the outside conditions inside might be unpromising. According to officials of the company that built both NAPA and the hospital, “a limited number” of Chinese nationals have been kept behind in TT in order to service a 365-day defect period in relation to the hospital, which is miles away. But these workers also work on the NAPA, said Michael Zhang, director of SCG.

“We keep a limited amount of workers for the training hospital for the defect period,” Zhang confirmed yesterday in broken English.

“Also they do some repairs at NAPA. They are leaving now.” (The Couva Children’s Hospital is meant to be a “multi-training facility”, according to Udecott, the project manager.) Asked how many workers were still in the country, Zhang declined to provide a number, saying, “Not very many.” SCG — formerly SCG International (Trinidad and Tobago) Ltd — has a controversial record in relation to the conditions of employment for its workers.

The company, which has been selected by the Chinese Government for projects tied to secret state-tostate arrangements between TT and China, has faced allegations of human trafficking involving asymmetrical power relations with employees, most of whom do not speak English. SCG officials have in the past confirmed the company has withheld wages in order to guarantee good behaviour.

In the period 2007 to 2009 there were a series of protests by Chinese workers over working conditions.

SCG is owned in part by Zhang and another company, SCG (America) Company Ltd, which has an address registered in California.

With continued concern over the state of NAPA, Minister of Community Development and Culture Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly is this morning due to take a tour of the facility. She is likely to address the extent of remedial work needed.

Gadsby-Dolly will not be the first minister to do so. From the moment the facility opened in 2009, the then minister of culture Marlene Mc Donald confirmed millions more had to be spent on repairs. Things continued in this vein under Dr Lincoln Douglas, the minister of arts of multiculturalism during the next administration.

According to a structural report commissioned by the State in 2014, there are “numerous defects” at the site which impact “on the life safety of the occupants.” Yet, the building was used by the State when former Prime Minister Patrick Manning died in July. His casket lay in a foyer for hundreds of mourners to view.

The 2015 BBFL (Caribbean Limited) report states the majority of the defects are “associated with the non-structural components and structural steel connections.” Welds did not meet the requirements of the American Welding Society.

“The end users of the facility, particularly within the theatre division, have described several serviceability defects which, according to their reports, have caused health and safety concerns,” says the report commissioned by what was then the Ministry of Multiculturalism.

“There have also been reports on defects causing injuries, such as the excessive deflection of the stage which produced (effects) causing an artist to trip while performing.

These defects should not be discarded as minor as it affects the health and safety of all staff using the facility.” A long list of remedial work is itemised. Among the flaws is one instance where a block with a hole was used as a weight to stabilise a pipe (“dangerous”), as well as a questionable drainage (“dangerous during rainfall”).

However, the people drawing up this report disclosed there were crucial gaps in documentation in relation to it. Over the years, the extent of the problems seems to have been subject to a game of Chinese whispers.