THE National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is still unable to say just when truck and backhoe operators contracted to clean up the Corporate Area following the passage of Hurricane Dean two months ago will be paid.

On Friday, several placard-bearing truck and backhoe operators demonstrated outside the Metropolitan Parks and Markets (MPM) offices on Half-Way-Tree Road to demand payment for work done after the hurricane. It was not clear, however, how much was owing.

However, despite their actions the angry operators had to leave without any firm confirmation as to when they would receive their money.

Christopher Powell, executive director of the NSWMA, admitted that the money has been owed to the truck operators but said he does not know when they would be paid.

He told the Observer that the claim was sent to the local government arm in the Office of the Prime Minister, which has since sent the request to the finance ministry.

This news that the request for payment has been sent to finance ministry has not been comforting to the truck and backhoe operators.

One backhoe operator, Kimberly Hamilton, told the Observer that they need the money to pay sidemen who were also contracted to work with them. “They stipulated that they want three sidemen on the truck and so now we have those people to pay and now we can’t get our money,” she said. At the same time, Hamilton said it cost the operators thousands of dollars in fuel to operate the equipment. “Every week them tell us next week and we still can’t get we money yet,” she said.

One truck driver who requested anonymity told the Observer that he has had to park his truck for some time now as he is no longer able to afford to buy gas oil for the vehicle.

He explained that a drum of gas oil cost $12,000 and can only last for two days.

“So when you spend so much money buy gas oil you can’t see the money coming in then you can’t afford to buy more to go back on another work,” he said.

The driver said they were also getting threats from the sidemen who were hired to help with the clean- up work.

“Right now me can’t go see my sidemen dem because them a quarrel bad…because if is me alone fi get owe me woulda work with it but the sideman them a give a problem for the money,” said the truck driver.