Opposition MLAs flagged what they called “serious” safety concerns when it comes to operations at the cargo port.
Topping the areas they highlighted were a shortage of manpower and a rigorous night shift schedule.
Acting Port Director Joseph Woods was put in the hot seat in Finance Committee last week as he faced the grilling.
While he stopped short of saying his hands were tied when it came to the operations, Woods pointed out that port operations were at maximum capacity and he was working with what he has available to him.
“That port is used at 100% of its capacity 90% of the time, and the only reason that it has any downtime is if there is a day without a cruise ship scheduled, or a day we don’t have an aggregate ship. But, the rest of the time that port works 24 hours a day, every day of the week,” Woods said.
Legislators were at the time going through the vote for $3.5 million for the cruise berthing and cargo project. Bodden Town West MLA Chris Saunders questioned the funding, asking why it was listed as an executive asset when government said no more funds would be spent on the project.
Chief Officer for the Tourism Ministry Stran Bodden explained the funds were assigned for consultancy fees for the legal work for the project.
Port operations questioned
Opposition Leader Arden McLean raised this issue as he questioned the hours cargo staff were working and if cargo operators and truck drivers were being used to offload containers.
Woods said the port is short staffed, and they are working on increasing available manpower. He said operators are only assigned to cargo, and it may be possible that truck drivers may be offloading.
He said the Port Authority Board has discussed alternatives.
Seven workers, he said, have been added to the Cargo Distribution Centre, and they are in the process of recruiting nine more to alleviate the shortage.
George Town Central MLA Kenneth Bryan questioned the safety of the current schedule at the dock and asked if any medical tests had been done to determine if it was adversely affecting workers.
Woods said a safety audit was done, but it did not assess scheduling. He did say the current plan is to have those workers who are on night shift, just work the night shift. He explained that the shift schedule runs three nights, one day and three days off.
McLean said he has been receiving complaints from workers and they are demoralized.
Woods, however, said they were upset because they were not getting the shift they wanted. He said what they wanted was a shift that would see them having four days off.
West Bay West MLA McKeeva Bush questioned whether operators were working in 25 to 30 knot winds and when there is lightning.
However, Woods said they are not, adding that when there are adverse weather conditions cargo operations are shut down.
Premier Alden McLaughlin welcomed the MLAs’ concerns for the workers on the cargo port, and asked Woods to explain to the House why operations are that way.
Woods said the port is still operating on a little over two acres of land.
He said when it was constructed back in the 1970s, the population was 12,000 and there were 25,000 tons of cargo coming in.
Today, he said, the cargo port is operating on the same footprint with little enhancement.
“We are now handling 300,000 plus tons of cargo, 250,000 tons of aggregate and cement, from the 25,000 tons that we had,” he said.
Woods explained that when cruise ships are in port, work on the cargo end has to stop.
He also told MLAs that at present, the ship with materials for the airport airfield upgrade cannot berth, so they will have to bring barges to offload the ship.
“We are practically at capacity. There is not much more we can do,” Woods added.
Finance Committee resumes Monday in the Legislative Assembly.
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