By ANDRE BAGOO Wednesday, September 16 2009

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INFORMAL TALK: Prime Minister Patrick Manning (right) has a few words with opposition members, MP Jack Warner (left) and MP Nizam Baksh, during the Bu...

CHAGUANAS West MP Jack Warner on Monday night warned that this country has replaced “African slavery” with “Chinese slavery” in relation to its use of Chinese labour on public sector construction projects.

“This Government is now bringing in Chinese slavery as a substitute for African slavery” Warner declared as he spoke during the Budget debate on Monday night. What he said were details of the practices of a construction firm by the name of Trinity Housing Limited, which is one of several firms in the country currently operating with Chinese labour.

“Some of those firms have employed Chinese labour, but the fact is that the contracts are in English,” he said. “And the fact is the firm has not lived up to the terms of the contract.”

“The firm Trinity Housing has broken every single promise it has made to the Chinese workers. They get no housing, and no food, the firm has not paid them since July; has doctored their no off-hours at work, and has paid them less than they are entitled to.”

Warned claimed that the firm has charged its workers for National Insurance, when foreigners are not expected to pay that. Trinity Housing is a member of the RHL Group of Companies.

Speaking after Warner’s contribution, Minister of Foreign Affairs Paula Gopee-Scoon said the Chinese firm of Shanghai Construction Group, which is currently at work on the Port-of-Spain National Academy for the Performing Arts, is at work on a restoration of Knowsley at the Queen’s Park Savannah. Both Knowsley and the Academy adjoin each other on Queens Park West.

“The contract was awarded to Shanghai Corporation,” she said. “What that will ensure is that it is done on time, and according to specifications.” Warner also alleged that the Government had purchased a new property to house diplomats in Canada at a price that was inflated by $20 million.

Warner praised Local Government Minister Hazel Manning, saying she was the best minister in Cabinet. In my experience, the best minister to date, or I should say the least bad, is Senator Hazel Manning. She doesn’t behave as if she is God’s gift to the ministry,” Warner said.

While Warner was speaking almost all members of the Opposition were not in the chamber. Opposition Chief Whip Hamza Rafeeq(who deputises for Oropouche East MP Roodal Moonilal), Fyzabad MP Chandresh Sharma, Mayaro MP Winston “Gypsy” Peters and, at one point, Cumuto/Manzanilla MP Harry Partap were the only UNC MP s present when Warner spoke. “We were in and out of the tea-room it was nothing planned,” Sharma said yesterday.