Foreign construction workers outshine local counterparts

Chinese workers have come in; Indian workers are competing and over-running the Sri Lankan labour force. Now Nepalese and Myanmar workers are coming as the government has already given the approval to employ them in Sri Lankan’s construction industry.
Adding ‘insult to the injury’, Major (Rtd) Ranjith Gunatileke, President, Chamber of Construction Industry (CCI) undermined the efficiency of Sri Lankan workers saying that they are only 25 per cent efficient when compared to Chinese workers.
Maj. Gunatileke was answering queries of journalists at the launch of ‘Build Sri Lanka Housing Construction Expo 2018 held on Monday at Galadari Hotel.
Nissanka Wijeratne, CEO, CCI making the introductory remarks said that they are to discuss issues facing the construction industry, that of the labour shortage and the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with various countries which has includes some areas that affect the local construction industry such as foreign companies winning contracts competing with local companies in locally funded projects which would ultimately eliminate the local construction industry altogether.
The worker shortage, he said, is immense as there is a shortfall of 350,000 in the construction industry. The crisis is because Sri Lankan school leavers are reluctant to undergo training and join the industry and so they are now compelled to bring workers from neighbouring countries and the government has approved their request. 
He said “We have repeatedly informed the government before opening the construction sector to foreign companies, that there should be a proper regulatory framework to protect the domestic industry. In particular we have been insisting that there are 20 very important regulations under the construction industry which should be enacted before entering into FTAs and opening the construction sector to foreigners”.
He said that even though this is accepted in principle, still only five have been accepted. He said that to approve even a small thing the authorities take a long time and by the time it is accepted the problem at issue takes a different form. He urged the government to focus attention on these serious issues to prevent the collapse of the whole local construction industry.  
The CCI President said that the Chinese presence depicts the development of any country as they invest in those countries and their machinery and equipment are very cheap and the spiraling high cost of construction industry in Sri Lanka is now sustained as the Chinese involvement (machinery and equipment) enabled to bring down the cost to at least to present level.  
Answering a question whether Chinese workers are paid more than locals, Mr. Gunatileke said that though Chinese workers are short in height, one Chinese worker would carry two steel bars in both hands while two Sri Lankan workers would carry one steel bar, thereby the efficiency of the Sri Lankan workers are 25 per cent.
Justifying the Chinese presence, he said: “Today in Sri Lanka our construction cost is very high. At least we are maintaining at this level because of these machinery and equipment. If you use all other machinery and equipment the cost would go up further.”  QP)