Senior Jamal Abdul-Malik has threatened to take a general contractor to court after claiming that it failed to pay him his pension contributions when he left.

The 65-year-old retired from working on Government's new secondary school development, run by Pro-Active Management Systems Ltd., at the beginning of June and has still not received the $2,400 he claims is owed to him in pension.

He said because he had only worked on the site as a storeman for 22 months, Pro-Active was not obliged to make any contributions, and so when he left he was entitled to cash in his own payments.

He said he gave Pro-Active two months notice and explained how he wanted the money, but has so far received nothing.

Mr. Abdul-Malik, of Friswells Lane, Pembroke, said he had visited the Bermuda Industrial Union (BIU), but had still received no satisfaction and so was now planning legal action.

"I went to the pension man at the BIU and he said they had not had any money from Pro-Active," said the father of three.

"Of course, the pension man has all the figures, but no money.

"There are others who want their money back, too, but they are afraid to speak out.

"I'm tired of it. I think somebody has to have some nerve to stand up to these people. I paid this money in and therefore it is my money and I'm entitled to get it back. I won't let this rest."

Mr. Abdul-Malik said he did not expect to get very much help from the BIU as it was a known backer of Pro-Active and the new school site.

He added: "The Progressive Labour Party, the union and Pro-Active are all in bed together. The union has put up money to back Pro-Active, so will we get good representation from them? I don't think so.

"I don't think the union is going to fight this for me. Pro-Active and the union never tell us anything. They call meetings to pacify us, but we get told nothing.

"I told the union that if they are going to play games, I will do what I have to do to get my money back and I am very prepared to go to court."

Mr. Abdul-Malik said something had to be done to stop incidents like this because this was the third construction company that had failed to return his pension contributions out of a total of four he had worked for.

He said both Precision Construction and BermudaTech Construction went bust while he was working for them and he lost his pension contributions on both occasions.

The only building company that had returned his contributions to him was Somers Construction, he said.

Mr. Abdul-Malik added: "The thing that really gets to me is that Pro-Active has not paid any pension at all. That's the workers' money they have taken, but where has it gone?"

The Royal Gazette attempted to speak to Pro-Active manager Arthur Ebbin, union president Derrick Burgess and vice-president Chris Furbert yesterday, but no calls were returned.

Earlier this year, Pro-Active workers walked off the job after their pay cheques repeatedly bounced, and they said their medical insurance had also not been paid on occasions.

They have repeatedly questioned the union and Pro-Active about their pensions, and have been told that all is being sorted out.

And when The Royal Gazette asked the union's Mr. Burgess some months ago about the security of the worker's pensions, he said he was always concerned when any worker raised questions about their pensions or medical insurance, but said everything would be above board, if it was not already.