Dear Claudienne

I work at a hospital in Kingston. From February 1, 2009 to November 30, 2009, I acted as a telephone operator. The pay that I should have received for the period I acted was retroactively paid to me in March 2010. However, the amount of money I was paid ($12,469) was less than I should have been paid. When I spoke to the pay clerk about the small amount of money I received, she explained that three of the months (May, July and October) had three fortnights. I also spoke to the supervisor, and she too insisted that the calculation was correct.

Nonetheless, I am convinced that I was short-paid. Could you kindly assist me to have my concerns addressed by the hospital.

SG

Dear SG

We spoke to the acting personnel manager at the hospital in question and she promised to investigate. We note that the investigations showed that the pay clerk’s calculation of the pay owed to you was not correct.

We see that the personnel manager wrote you and admitted that you were short-paid. The letter to you stated the following:

Further to query made by the media regarding the payment of salary arrears, this serves to advise that the matter was thoroughly investigated. It was discovered that you were under-paid due to an inadvertent error. In light of the above you will be paid the arrears which amount to $18,580.74.

This payment will be reflected on your salary in November 2011.

We regret any inconvenience that this error may have caused.

Good luck.

Dear Claudienne

We are having a problem with the National Water Commission’s (NWC) billing.

Our business occupies a small office in Swallowfield, with only three persones generally on the premises. We have one toilet and two hand sinks. Our water consumption has always been aound 4,000 litres per month.

Starting from around April 2011 we ceased to receive printed bills, however, we paid the amounts shown on the NWC website, which were about what we expected.

However, when we accessed the bill due on August 30 we were amazed to discover that our consumption had risen to 31,000 litres with a bill of more than $17,000. We checked our meter and noted that it was not moving, which meant that there was no leak. We then e-mailed the NWC expressing our concern and to which they replied that an investigation would be done. We were instructed to pay half the bill which we did.

However, our next bill showed a consumption of 18,000 litres. Please note that nobody from NWC came to the office to see the plumbing. We again e-mailed the NWC and pointed out that the meter had been changed in February 2011.

The NWC reply stated that: “The consumption on the current usage had shown a reduction; hence the bill is payable. Whatever brought the account to that high has been rectified as a meter check was done on the premises recently.

This totally illogical reply does not address the situation to our satisfaction at all. The NWC has us at its mercy. We are being asked to pay over $27,000 for water/sewerage that we have not used.

Could you please help.

RW

Dear RW

Tell Claudienne contacted the NWC and they promised to investigate. The NWC has advised us that an inspection was done and the meter read resulting in the charges being reduced by $9,620. We note that you have subsequently paid the bill.

Good luck.

Have a problem with a store, utility, a company? Telephone 936-9436 or write to: Tell Claudienne c/o Sunday Finance, Jamaica Observer, 40-42 1/2 Beechwood Avenue, Kingston 5; or e-mail: edwardsc@jamaicaobserver.com. Please include a contact phone number.