THE State-owned Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) could be dragged before the courts by female employees who are livid after a case against a supervisor they claim is a “serial sexual harasser” was dismissed on Tuesday because of a reported “procedural error”.

“None of us were notified as to the findings and we were all there on Tuesday when the hearing was scheduled at the company’s Ashenheim Road depot. The company is going to be facing lawsuits, that a what I can tell you,” said one female employee who claimed that she was among the many victims of sexual harassment.

“I am going to be seeking legal representation as we were unfairly treated, we were disrespected…and we have to take action,” said the woman with disappointment evident in her voice.

She said under the rules of the JUTC, once a charge has been laid against one of its employees, a hearing must be held within 21 days or the matter would be dismissed.

“They came to a decision that because 21 days had passed for the matter to be brought up it would be thrown out. But we are aware that the investigators had applied for an extension on October 6, 2021 due to the number of women that they would have to interview and take statements from,” added the woman.

“We had a hearing with him on Tuesday and we were not allowed to be in the room with our union delegates. We were sent out of the room but he and his representatives were allowed to stay in that room,” another female employee of the bus company claimed.

She was one of several JUTC employees who first reported the allegations to the Jamaica Observer in October 2021.

At that time, they charged that the alleged serial harasser had been interdicted while the company conducted a probe into the reports against him.

At that time, the management of the JUTC did not confirm or deny if the man had been interdicted, but said it was aware of reports from some female employees and an investigation was being done.

“The JUTC takes such allegations very seriously and does not tolerate inappropriate behaviour in the workplace. Our employees are encouraged to bring such matters to our attention at any time, without fear of any adverse action being taken against them for doing so,” Cecil Thoms, corporate communications manager at the JUTC, told the Observer then.

Efforts to get an update from the JUTC on Wednesday were unsuccessful as Thoms said the company’s Managing Director Paul Abrahams had requested details on the hearing and needs more time to respond to our newsroom.

But a number of present and former female employees were convinced that nothing further would be done by the company and declared that they were prepared to take action.

According to the women, the supervisor made their lives hell because they rejected his demands for sexual favours.

“You get approached for sex and when you don’t give in, him victimise you. Is like him mek him friend dem sit down in the depot and if dem even go road and do one or two trips, him call dem in and take dem bus and give you, even though fi dem duty nuh done,” alleged one former JUTC employee.

“The next thing, him will go take a defective bus, one without sun visor, or one where the seat tie up with rope, to give you to go road. Him thing is that you can’t stay in the depot once you never give him what him want, even if your bus defective,” added the former employee.

Another woman, who pleaded for her name to be withheld because she is still employed to the JUTC, told the Observer that she has seen a number of her colleagues resign because they believed that was the only option to escape this man who allegedly targeted them.

The developments at the JUTC come days after Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange urged organisations to get ready for the implementation of the sexual harassment law.

Under the law, workplaces and institutions are required to issue sexual harassment policies and bring those policies to the attention of workers. The policy should advise workers, clients, students, residents, wards, and members on how complaints of sexual harassment should be reported and addressed.

“Although workplaces and institutions will have 12 months from the implementation date of the law to put their policies in place, it is critical that the work begins now. I’ve mandated the Bureau of Gender Affairs to step up sensitisation on the sexual harassment legislation and to assist organisations to develop their policies,” said Minister Grange.

She noted that she was awaiting the completion of the administrative arrangements for establishment of the Sexual Harassment Tribunal and the Sexual Harassment Unit before announcing the date on which the Sexual Harassment (Protection and Prevention) Act, 2021 shall come into operation.