MARTHA BRAE, Trelawny -The over 90 raftsmen employed to the River Rafters’ Association who offer rafting on the Martha Brae River in Trelawny – one of the nation’s premier tourist attractions -are scheduled to return to work today.

The raftsmen withdrew their services in mid-December after raising a range of concerns. They say that they have inadequate working equipment, and alleged that their rafts had been damaged as a result of their employers’ negligence.

The angry raftsmen told the Observer that only one of two cranes that load the rafts onto trailers was operational, resulting in long waits for them to get back to the embarking pier. They say the standby crane was also out of service.

“When the main one break down we don’t have no support to take the rafts back to the embarkation point,” one of the men told the Observer.

The raftsmen also complained that only two of four trailers designated to return the rafts to the pier where the visitors boarded were operational.

Additionally, the raftsmen, who are required to provide two rafts for the job, say that the iron barriers designed to separate the rafts from each other on the trailers are missing, causing damage to the rafts, which have to be piled on each other.

They also complained that when the rafts, which normally have a life span of six months, are damaged prematurely, they have to absorb these losses as the rafts are purchased at a price of $6,000 each.

As a result, they served a seven-day ultimatum on the management on December 13, but said the management failed to address their grouses.

But Johnny Gourzong, the managing director of the River Rafters’ Association, said the workers walked off the job over what he described as minor concerns. He also explained that it was the union delegate who had served the ultimatum, and that an agreement had been reached which should have seen the workers reporting for duties on Tuesday.

In fact, Gourzong said that he was disappointed that the workers had continued to stay off the job after being assured by the union representative that the raftsmen had agreed to resume work. He added that based on that agreement, tours were arranged for the attraction.

Added Gourzong: “Only to find that at 9 o’clock this morning no raftsmen were available and there were tour buses from Ocho Rios and all over the place.”

Meanwhile, Aston Johnson, negotiating officer at the University and Allied Workers Union, said a meeting was set for next Tuesday with the workers, the union and management to try to settle the dispute.