During a recent meeting with employees of the old Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB), Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill assured them that their jobs are secure, amid ongoing preparations to transition parts of the river crossing to several locations.
Minister Edghill said workers will be reassigned to various departments within the ministry based on their skills and qualifications.
“Nobody is going to be demoted or put to do a job that is less than what you are doing. We believe that people must preserve their dignity,” he told the staff.“This is not finding work for people, this is about putting people where they are best suited.”
He explained that several employees will be absorbed into the ministry’s Works Services Group (WSG), while others will be assigned to the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) and the Guyana National Shipping Corporation (GNSC).
All welders and other technical staff will form part of the special projects unit (SPU) within the ministry.
A separate group will be responsible for operations at the Sand Hills to Timehri bridge, where components of the existing Demerara Harbour Bridge structure will be relocated to support a new alignment.
Another team will be assigned to work on the Leguan to Wakenaam link.
He also stated that Wayne Watson will remain the director general of the DHB and will oversee operations at the new Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge, supported by a technical team responsible for maintenance and upkeep.