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Thursday, 06 March 2008
There is a development on Thursday afternoon surrounding the ongoing investigations into the mysterious February 23 fire which destroyed four buses at the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) Portmore depot.
The JUTC management Wednesday suspended about ten employees who were on duty or were scheduled to be at work during the period of the fire.
Bus washers, mechanics and maintenance supervisors are among the categories of workers.
The bus employees have been ordered to remain off the job pending an ongoing investigation into the fire.
The JUTC's management also requested that the employees provide contact numbers to facilitate the investigators.
But the move to suspend the bus employees has not gone done well with union representatives.
UAWU Vice-President Clifton Grant says the JUTC management's failed to consult with the union on the suspension.
"We think this is not the proper approach to dealing with problems in the company, we are very, very concerned about the buses being burnt and we heard that last night another bus was burnt, we are very, very concerned about it but investigations cannot go the way the company is doing it by just pulling workers arbitrarily and putting them on suspension without pay," said Mr. Grant.
Mr. Grant said the Union wrote to the JUTC management requesting a meeting within 24-hours to discuss the suspension.
The UAWU First Vice President accused the JUTC management of acting contrary to good industrial relations practice.
In a recent statement Transport Minister Mike Henry said an internal investigation by the JUTC pointed to a number of questionable circumstances surrounding the fire.
There is a development on Thursday afternoon surrounding the ongoing investigations into the mysterious February 23 fire which destroyed four buses at the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) Portmore depot.
The JUTC management Wednesday suspended about ten employees who were on duty or were scheduled to be at work during the period of the fire.
Bus washers, mechanics and maintenance supervisors are among the categories of workers.
The bus employees have been ordered to remain off the job pending an ongoing investigation into the fire.
The JUTC's management also requested that the employees provide contact numbers to facilitate the investigators.
But the move to suspend the bus employees has not gone done well with union representatives.
UAWU Vice-President Clifton Grant says the JUTC management's failed to consult with the union on the suspension.
"We think this is not the proper approach to dealing with problems in the company, we are very, very concerned about the buses being burnt and we heard that last night another bus was burnt, we are very, very concerned about it but investigations cannot go the way the company is doing it by just pulling workers arbitrarily and putting them on suspension without pay," said Mr. Grant.
Mr. Grant said the Union wrote to the JUTC management requesting a meeting within 24-hours to discuss the suspension.
The UAWU First Vice President accused the JUTC management of acting contrary to good industrial relations practice.
In a recent statement Transport Minister Mike Henry said an internal investigation by the JUTC pointed to a number of questionable circumstances surrounding the fire.