KINGSTON, Jamaica — President of the Union of Clerical Administrative and Supervisory Employees (UCASE), Vincent Morrison is calling on the government meet with the relevant unions and China Harbour Engineering Company Limited to settle several issues which he said could impact road projects if left unattended.

In a statement today, the union said the government should convene a meeting with UCASE, the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU), the National Workers Union (NWU) and the company to commence discussions on the concerns of the workers.

Morrison, along with UCASE organiser, Paul Works and BITU organisers Alfred Bailey and Linden Ingram, met with workers engaged on the East West May Pen to Williamsfield Highway Construction project early this morning.

He said the workers have expressed deep concern over several matters affecting their employment on the project including:

[naviga:ul]

[naviga:li]Low wages;[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]No statutory deduction for NHT and NIS contributions by the employers;[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]No pay slips being issued to the workers since the start of the project over one year ago;[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]No payment for lunch break; and[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]No payment for overtime work. The workers having to work between the hours 7:30 am to 5:30 pm on weekdays but there is no overtime payments for work done on Saturdays and Sundays.[/naviga:li]

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Morrison said the workers also complained that they have no insurance coverage, lack of proper safety equipment and personal protective gears, and inadequate provision of potable drinking water.

The union noted that on February 8 it wrote to country manager for Jamaica of China Harbour Engineering Company Limited — the principal contractor for the $60 billion project — but said it has not yet received a response from the company.