THE strike by workers attached to the construction project of the new state of the art Linden Hospital Complex has been resolved following a visit to the site by the Managing Director of the contracting firm R. Basoo and Sons, Roy Basoo last Friday.

As a result a full resumption to work is expected today.

Mr. Basoo reported to this newspaper that the main issue was that civil works are coming to a close and some workers will have to be retrenched.

He further said: “We explained to them any project must come to an end and we will release as we go along. We will not release all of them at the same time because as the work reduces, we will reduce accordingly. And that is what we explained to them. When we will reduce the workers they will get whatever benefits are due to them. They will be given those benefits.”

The site visit by Mr. Basoo, Civil Works Manager Dr Charles Garrett and Senior Project Engineer Ms. Heidi Gillet was timely and their presence seemed to have pleased the striking workers who had withdrawn their services citing imminent retrenchment of half of the masons on site.

When that time comes to retrench workers the contracting company boss said all benefits accrued will be paid accordingly.

Questioned on specific matters which had raised eyebrows, as at least two construction workers claimed that they were being denied sick leave benefits, Basoo responded “they were given their benefits. It was a three-day pay and that the medical report went down late to the head office, but they got that benefit a couple of days ago.”

He said: “However, persons did not know that the other had gotten theirs which caused the alarm. So it’s a non-issue.”

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Linden Hospital Complex Mr. Gordon Gumbs had opined that the contractor from reports had reached a point where he wanted to reduce the amount of staff on the job.

This the workers agreed would become necessary but the manner in which it was expected to occur last week agitated them resulting in protest action as they feared persons from out of the town would be asked to replace them to do the same jobs.

The majority of the nearly fifty Linden-based workers at the construction site of the state of the

art new $1.2 billion Linden Hospital Complex, in anticipation of a cut in the number of masons presently on the job last week Wednesday, had withdrawn their services for the second time, the first being last year.