Erica James-King
, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
FORMER EMPLOYEES of the cash-strapped Montego Bay Metro bus company, who were laid off eight months ago, are to receive nearly $500,000 in lieu of notice pay.
At a workers' meeting Monday, at Dump-up Beach, Montego Bay, the former employees were updated by the University and Allied Workers Union (UAWU) on the company's plans to pay them notice pay this month, and to delay the disbursement of redundancy payments until the next financial year.
Both the company and the union have said that in excess of $1.3 million in redundancy payment was still owed to the workers, in addition to just under $452,000 for vacation leave.
At the meeting, the UAWU consulted with the workers on whether the years of service for each worker as documented by the company was correct, and verified whether the formula used to calculate the redundancy payment was accurate.
"The company has told us that, according to their calculations, $469,610 is owed to the employees for notice pay, but this figure is subject to change," Aston Johnson, union organiser with the UAWU, told The Gleaner.
"The wage agreement was not signed because of a minor glitch, so the company has agreed to meet us on Monday at the Ministry of Labour to discuss that matter and its implications for those workers slated to get notice and redundancy payments," Mr. Johnson said.
Fifty-two employees of Montego Bay Metro were laid off on April 28, when the company scaled back its services due to financial difficulties that saw the bus service suffering operating loses of $2 million a month.
The future of the bus company still hangs in the balance as it has not been able to get from the Transport Ministry the capital injection of at least $6 million needed to expand its operations.
"We certainly don't have the money to expand the service and re-employ the people who were laid off, and we don't have the funds to pay out redundancy money at this time," said Anthony Copeland, general manager of Montego Bay Metro, in an interview with The Gleaner.
"The money needed has not been forthcoming from the (Transport) Ministry because it seems they have no money to help us at this time," Mr. Copeland added.
