Headlines:
| JUTC employee’s health insurance at risk |
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| Thursday, 22 May 2008 | |
The University and Allied Workers Union (UAWU) is upset
with state owned Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) over insurance payments
from employees.In a letter sent to the JUTC, obtained by RJR News, the UAWU alleges that the bus company has put the health insurance coverage of the workers at risk by not paying over outstanding third party deductions to Blue Cross of Jamaica. First Vice President of the UAWU Clifton Grant told our news centre that Blue Cross had threatened to discontinue its service to JUTC employees on Thursday, if the bus company did not make the outstanding payments. "On the 13th of May we met and we were informed that the company was taking all steps to ensure that all the payments would have been paid by today, including Blue Cross. Today we receive a call saying Blue Cross will take steps to discontinue services to the JUTC employees," said Mr. Grant. "This is a very serious development because if Blue Cross cuts off service this afternoon then for the entire weekend into next week the employees will be without coverage and therefore we are calling on the JUTC to meet their obligations. They can't continue to draw money from the employees' salary and not pay it over," Mr. Grant called on the JUTC to take immediate steps to prevent this from happening as workers at the company are very restive over the issue. "Serious tension is now building up at the JUTC for the last two, three weeks and JUTC has to take full responsibility for whatever action the workers take to protect themselves. They can't continue like this. The workers have waited long enough and are now prepared to take a stand; they can't continue to expose themselves like this," he continued. When our news centre contacted Chairman of the JUTC Douglas Chambers he directed our news centre to the Ministry of Transport. However both the minister Mike Henry and permanent secretary Alwyn Hayles were in a meeting. |