FOREIGN construction company Bouygues Batiment has disputed reports that they are involved in any sort of discrimination against its employees.

In a meeting with the company’s management on Monday (January 9) they said that their current waterfront project is not like other construction sites found in the Port of Spain area, since they abide by safe health practices.

Sources had previously informed TnT Mirror that their foreign employers were favouring the French expatriates over local labourers on the site.

They complained that while locals were told not to wear sleeveless and short pants, the Frenchmen who came to install the towers were allowed to dress as pleased; and that local labourers were not being provided with toilet paper and running water to wash their hands.

However, Project Director Jean-Claude Aoustin, in response to these allegations said that there were in fact sufficient toilet facilities on site.

“There are toilets, showers and changing rooms.

“We have plans of building an area on the ground floor where the workers could sit and have their lunch,” he said.

Simon Phipps, QSE Manager, said that management had decided to issue a blanket ban on all sleeveless and short pants since they found that was how most em-ployees showed up for work and it was not “good working practice”.

He said they did lots of research on the occupational practices in Trinidad before they came into the country to set up shop.

“Our client advised us when we were hiring to administer a drug test and we routinely test for drugs.

“Only one person was ever removed for using alcohol and that was an expatriate.”

All employees are said to be issued with a health and safety handbook.

He said the complaint that representatives from the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) had not visited the site since construction began was untrue.

“The girls from the EMA have been here four times already and this claim had me most bothered,” said Phipps.

He said the Ministry of Labour also visited the site and stayed in close contact with them.

“We abide by the Minimum Wages Act, too.

“The labourers here start work at 7.30 a.m. and finish at 4.30 p.m. with an hour for lunch.

“After those specified hours they are paid time and a half and overtime.

“No one is forced to work 60 hours per week,” said Aoustin.