ISLINGTON, St Mary — Most people who recently protested over the lack of compensation for work done during a September vaccination blitz in this parish have finally received payment.

They did the work on behalf of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

Almost two months ago when payment was not forthcoming in what they considered to be a timely manner, the workers protested at the St Mary Municipal Corporation in the parish capital.

The Jamaica Observer has tried to get the ministry to explain the reason for the delay. Communications director at the ministry Dahlia McDonald requested and confirmed receipt of written questions submitted a month ago, but, to date, there has been no response.

Councillor Lincoln Dixon (People’s National Party, Islington Division) said eight workers were eventually paid about two weeks ago.

However, he stated that four others are yet to be compensated.

“Not all of them got pay; the car personnel don’t get pay as yet,” he told the Observer. “What they say is that they could not find the invoices, and so they had to rewrite them and send them back to the ministry. That is what is holding up their payment now.”

Dixon expressed hope that the remaining workers, who are low-income earners, will be paid soon.