1

Concerned

The statement made that work at the airport is to specialised for local companies is a flawed statement. Of the £50m value of Lagan’s contract at least £10m is for drainage works, installing service ducts, digging and constructing cut off trenches, building manholes, enabling works etc. There are plenty of local contractors and skilled tradesmen available to carry out those works. And plant operators, mechanics, engineers, administrative staff, security etc. The question was asked of those attending yesterday’s Chamber of Commerce meeting if any business had been approached to supply services or carry out works for the Lagan contract. No one put up a hand. Have any of the numerous truck operators on the Island been approached to hire their services to move the vast quantities of aggregate? I think you will find the answer is no. What about Condor Logistics? I think the answer in no!! The weak excuse given by PSD that Lagan are waiting to sign the contract before talking to local business must be a smoke screen. It is publically stated that they are bringing in 150 plus personnel, they have made arrangements with T&R to lease land at Longue Hougue etc. Those plans have been made without a contract in place. Although the imported workers will be paying Guernsey tax, the money they earn from his project will be repatriated. No local purchases of weekly groceries, no furniture, no cars, in fact no support of local business, community organisations, sports clubs, education, training etc. When will the politicians in Guernsey realise that the Island needs money generated in Guernsey to be spent in Guernsey. Jersey does. The prediction is more local shops to close, more unemployment and lack of investment in local construction business and other service organisations that could indeed be carrying out works on these major projects with the Guernsey community as a whole benefiting from those efforts. Also how did Lagan manage or is going the be granted 150 local licences without even having to follow the process required of all other local business to advertise for the positions first and demonstrate a shortage of skills. Strange but true. The people of Guernsey are not being told the whole story. It is our right to know where OUR money is spent and why is Lagan being granted special dispensation for this project.

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3

Guern abroad

The above does raise big concerns. As you say how can these positions just be granted without following due diligence on the license justification procedures.
Is there a States loop hole that allows PSD to walk all over the Island’s governed processes?

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5

Dave Haslam

Concerned

At least the local public houses may benefit.

And we can rest assured that anyone working at A&E wont be underutilised either.

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7

Geoff

Islander – “Sooner this Lot of has beens of a States go the better”

Only worry I have is that the next lot will not be any better!

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9

john

this should be stoped before it even starts how the hell can people get away with this (states members ) this is out of order again i just do not belive this ,,this is guernsey the money should stay in guernsey what a sham !! all those going to work here work for six months pay no tax the states know people do this and they let it carry on .then when finished they go broke and dont pay the local builders they owe money to ( again )disgusting

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11

Islander

Geoff.

The next lot has to be hand picked.

At polling stations large placards of how the present lot has worked and used dictatorial methods in getting things through.

It’s not good enough.

Old school-tie politics are not good anymore (if they ever were?

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13

Nobody

Oh how we whinge when money leaves the island. But don’t say a word when money comes in even from dubious sources.

I wouls ask how many local builders etc. have experience of installing drains etc. under runways ? From what is being said it would seem the local builders do this kind of work every day.

Yes I am being awkward, but the island is full of talkers, not workers with muscles able to do manual labour. The island chose its path years ago, we now have to live with that.

And don’t bother replying to this as I will not respond no matter what you say. (that will make you mouse drivers try)

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15

martynl

Some people are living in cloud cuckoo land!!
As an employer, I know how difficult it is to get good reliable staff. Taking staff off other builders would do the Guernsey economy no good at all. I also know that local businesses are often totally uncompetetive compared with outside contractors. I would have saved thousands on a current project but have supported local business instead – I was wrong!!
Guernsey Ltd needs to wake up and be commercial. Who wants to be a deputy and cope with the whingers? Not me.

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17

Geoff

Of course it is a specialised area and it will have to be a company from outside the island. This will include bringing in some outside contractors and labour. I was implying that where possible they should use local labour/companies if they can, and want to do the work, rather than bring them in from outside. We are paying the bill so should have some input on this. You would expect some control or input on a contractor working for you?

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19

Stiletto

@Geoff

I do wonder if you are really a genuine Guernseyman, since you have referred to Guernsey as ‘this island’, which is not typical speak for us true islanders; you have a lot to say on this topic and your latest post seems to suggest that your interests are really farther flung.

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21

Stuff

I know of a local firm who have been asked for rates by Lagan in February on Drivers, setting out engineers and labourers. They have not heard anything since. The rates are reasonable and open to negotiation. The problem is, non local companies win these tenders and other contracts but cant comprehend the cost of living here. In the UK a basic site labourer will get £6 to £7 an hour, whereas to have a good standard of life in Guernsey you need to be paid closer to £10. There will be thousands of workers in the UK seeing the adverts for labourers for Guernseys runway on the recruitment sites and very eager to take the rates on offer. Obviously, they are well within their rights to use sub contract labour or their own. Its their price that they are working within and they will want to squeaze proffit where they can. What should have happened is when PSD went out to tender for the works, they should have stipulated that a certain percentage of local labour must be used. Now that could be that they recruit their own locally based labour, or they use a locally based sub contractor. As for Ronez, they would not be able to cope with the demand of materials that will be needed, let alone with the existing demand for stone as well. I know of haulage opperators who have “invested” in new trucks in the hope of getting haulage work on the site but this company was asked for rates on 10 drivers, so am assuming they are bringing over their own trucks. Bringing in a large number of unskilled workers will leave this island worse off after the 2 years because im pretty sure they arent going to live a monastic life while on island and will have relationships and get local housing licences, increasing the population and the competition for work amongst the unemployed. Basically, we will have more unemployed as these sites close and have to use local contributions to fund them as the non local labour the previous 2 years has not put anything in the pot. Then as if to rub salt in to the wound of not having any local labour on site, the states are seeing fit to give up land to house them rather than have any hotels make anything on it.

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23

blokeinlondon

Ronez currently do alot of work on the Runway and aprons as do States Works. So you can’t say they have no experience. I am more concerned of backhanders, and uncomfortable relationships with PSD. Ronez haven’t done enough to support the environmental case, EMAS, and to limit scope on this project. For that reason alone I would prefer external contractors.

In terms of process all workers must run the guantlet of housing licences and permit to work. PSD is not entitled to waive everyone working on the the runway project in their own accomodation.

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25

jason

Local labour is pricey

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