KINGSTON, Jamaica — The National Housing Trust (NHT) is reporting that things are back to normal at all branches of the agency after reports that over 100 customer service officers island wide reported absent yesterday.

In a release this afternoon, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security disclosed that it held a conciliatory meeting with the management of the NHT this morning in response to the reported industrial action.

The NHT Staff Association (affiliated with the University and Allied Workers’ Union) did not attend although it was invited to the meeting, the ministry said.

The ministry advised that the management of the NHT and the staff association will continue local level negotiations at a meeting scheduled for January 16.

The industrial action by the workers comes on the heels of reports this week that several temporary workers at the Government-run are tense after learning that they will be added to the country’s list of unemployed people in March.

An employee at the Trust said that the expected cuts will form part of the Public Sector Transformation and Modernisation Programme, which was established to address public sector efficiency and ease of doing business that are both seen as critical in creating an enabling environment for growth and development to take place in the country.

The employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that some workers were brought to tears after they were informed in a meeting last Wednesday (December 29) that it is unlikely that their contracts will be renewed.