By CLINT CHAN TACK Wednesday, October 21 2009

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BRING ON INQUIRY: Roodal Moonilal, seen in this file photo, on Monday called for an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the treatment of Chines...

UNC Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal is demanding Government implement “a comprehensive inquiry into the importation of Chinese workers”, in the wake of alleged exploitation of 70 Chinese labourers from the Beijing Luijian Construction Company. Moonilal made this demand when he raised the exploitation of Chinese nationals as a matter of definite urgent public importance in the House of Representatives on Monday.

Earlier in the sitting, Speaker Barry Sinanan agreed with Moonilal that the matter was “worthy of discussion.” He allowed the matter to be debated after the Opposition satisfied Section 60 (1) of the Constitution that it had the minimum quorum of 11 members needed for such a debate. Among the 11 were UNC renegade MPs Jack Warner, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and Winston “Gypsy” Peters. Referring to comments made minutes earlier by PNM Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley, Moonilal said the plight of the Chinese “is connected to the issue of the construction sector, Udecott and government to government arrangements between the government of China and the TT Government.”

“What I am dealing with really is the employment side of the financial corruption that took place. We are now looking at the employment effects of a process of corruption. That is what the motion is about,” Moonilal declared.

Moonilal said over the last two years almost 3,000 Chinese nationals have come to TT on work permits. Stating that 82 percent of Chinese nationals are involved in construction, Moonilal said they could be seen on evenings in Port-of-Spain, “filing into trucks in some regimental way and moving to some quarters where we do not know.”

Referring to an October 14 Newsday article, Moonilal described the conditions at the camp in Cunupia where the Beijing Luijian workers were staying as “horrible”. He said ten labourers occupy one bedroom and they have primitive concrete like structures on the ground which serve as washroom facilities.

Education Minister Esther Le Gendre asked: “Have you ever seen bathroom facilities in certain parts of India?” When Moonilal asked if Le Gendre had seen them, she replied: “Yes.”

“This is better than there, is that your point? What is your point?” he asked. “Different cultures,” the minister replied.

Moonilal claimed there were persons in the country “posing as labour contractors” who were bringing in contract labour pursuant to loan arrangements. “They may or may not be associated with the political elite,” he added. In response, Labour Minister Rennie Dumas said there were 19 construction companies in TT employing Chinese labourers and “in none of these have we had similar protests.”

Recalling that this practice has been taking place under the former UNC regime, and TT migrant workers in Canada live in camps on farms, Dumas said: “Attempts to put negative connotations to that reality of living conditions are not appropriate.”