Controversy surrounds Government’s housing project at Lancaster, St James with allegations of late payment and other worker concerns and a dispute that has engaged the attention of police.The trouble between state-owned developer Home Ownership Providing Energy (HOPE) Inc. and subcontractor Barbados Contractors & Artisans Cooperative Society Limited (BCACS) began after the latter entity claimed pay has been late on several occasions – and, in some instances, has not come at all – and workers have not been provided with all the materials needed to complete their tasks, resulting in delays.HOPE Inc. has strongly denied the allegations, however, and has also banned BCACS founder and vice president Michael Harris Jr from the site following an incident in which the Barbados Police Service is now involved.In an impromptu press meeting on Monday on the outskirts of the project, Harris charged that the democratic rights of his fellow workers were being “threatened”.
