This model house is one of 26 which a new contractor will be building at a cost of $130 000 for the Barbados Workers' Union at Mangrove, St Philip. (Pictures by Charles Grant.)

by Maria Bradshaw

THE Barbados Workers' Union (BWU) has abandoned Mangrove Meadows housing project following a disagreement with the contractor.

Instead, it is moving ahead with a low-income housing project, also in Mangrove, St Philip, but with new contractors.

BWU General Secretary Sir Roy Trotman told SUNDAY SUN yesterday that the union abandoned Mangrove Meadows because they were unable to reach an agreement on the price with the contractors.

"So as far as we are concerned it is no longer in the works," Sir Roy said, adding that he had no idea what would become of the three model houses which were built on the union's land by the contractor.

Last year Sir Roy explained that the BWU and the contractor were at loggerheads over the price of the two, three and four-bedroom timber houses which were to be built on 700 and 900 square-foot lots at a cost of $100 000 each.

Sir Roy indicated that the houses were being advertised by the contractor for about $400 000.

At the time he condemned the high cost of the houses, saying:
"The Barbados Workers'
Union entered into an arrangement based on a commitment to make housing affordable to low-income people. If anybody who sought to partner with us has departed from that principle, then there is no contractual basis on which the houses can be built."

He added then that the advertised costs "were not the prices in consultation with the Union", before hinting that the matter may be headed for the
law courts.

Sir Roy said yesterday that the BWU was now going ahead with construction on 26 stone houses to be built at a cost of $130 000 each on 700 and 900 square-foot lots. These, he said, were being built by the company Beautiful Environmental Homes Limited.

"We have a model house built on site. We are
in the process of getting the legal aspect addressed.
I reported
to the [BWU] council on the matter on Wednesday and several
of our members have indicated an interest and the builder
is ready to build," Sir Roy said.

He said the 26 houses were the first phase but pointed out that he was not in a position to say how much more would be built until the land was fully free.

He said the union did not lose anything on the first proposed project.

mariabradshaw
@nationnews.com