Headlines:
| Toll plaza workers to lose their jobs |
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| Thursday, 24 April 2008 | |
One hundred and 10 positions at Jamaica Infrastructure
Operator Limited (JIO, the managers of Highway 2000 Toll Roads and Plazas will
be made redundant and their job functions out-sourced.Toll Collectors, Safety and Maintenance Officers, Customer Service Representatives, Technicians, Electricians and some administrative staff will be sent home. The official confirmation has come more than a month after the RJR News Centre reported that some operations at the Portmore and Vineyards Toll Plaza could be out-sourced to a well-known janitorial and maintenance company. JIO noted that under the new agreement, a significant majority of employees will be retained. The toll road operators said the outsourcing of five worker categories will free up the JIO to concentrate on core functions and other issues in the operations and maintenance agreement. The JIO also said the University and Allied Workers Union (UAWU) which represents the workers should shoulder some blame for redundancies. The JIO management pointed to a strained relationship with the union, and the company's inability to institute disciplinary measures which were agreed and signed off with the union. Employees have been assured that all legal obligations under the Redundancy Act will be honoured. Workers quit News of the out sourcing has not gone down well with some employees resulting in several workers walking off the job in protest. Angry workers assigned to the Portmore and Vineyard Toll Plazas left some of the toll booths unmanned. It is understood that several motorists were able to drive through the toll booth without paying. Swift intervention by the management minimised any dislocation. UAWU Chief Delegate Denton Patterson said approximately 35 employees assigned to the Vineyards Toll Plaza were maintaining their protest and accused the toll road operators of having no regard for the employees. "This is a clear case of union busting. Already we have people (being) trained (to take over) our jobs." Mr. Patterson said the union will be seeking the intervention of the Labour Ministry. |