Workers demonstrated and blocked cars at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) last week citing lack of payment on a project run by Gammon Construction, a subsidiary of Balfour Beatty and Jardine Matheson.
At around 9.45am on 7 March, dozens of protesters blocked a road near the airport’s southern interchange, which was then reported to police.
Gammon Construction representatives said they were “highly concerned” and had met the workers at the scene, who then vacated the road.
The company issued a statement to GCR saying that the incident was caused by a subcontractor who had failed to pay wages.
In its statement, Gammon said it has “consistently adhered to the contractual terms that payments to subcontractors are paid as stipulated under the contract”.
Hong Kong’s Airport Authority (AAHK) said in a statement to GCR that the incident caused traffic to be diverted. It deployed staff to the scene.
AAHK has demanded that Gammon Construction, the “main contractor” should “ensure that all the workers receive their wages accordingly” and will monitor the company’s follow up actions.
The South China Morning Post reports that HK$6m, approximately US$770,000, is owed to the workers.
Gammon Construction said it is in contact with Hong Kong’s labour department and the subcontractor, and is aiming to get unpaid wages to employees.
Gammon Construction is expanding HKIA’s Terminal 2 to accommodate both arrivals and departures. Its scope of work includes building bridges, viaducts, roads, an annex structure, underground utility services, footbridges and modification works to existing facilities.
The company won the US$1.7bn, four-year job in 2020. It was the company’s largest ever contract at the time.
In 2019 and 2020, anti-government protesters occupied HKIA and caused it to shut down on multiple occasions.
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