Labour ministry orders JUTC drivers back to work
KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Ministry of Labour has ordered drivers at the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) who have taken industrial action to return to work.
According to the order, drivers scheduled for the 7:00 pm shift are to resume duties, while those rostered for other shifts are to report for normal duties.
READ: JUTC drivers remain off the job
This follows a meeting at the labour ministry involving the company’s management and the University and Allied Workers Union (UAWU) which represents the drivers.
Operations at the JUTC were disrupted for two days after drivers withdrew their service to complain about their salaries.
READ: JUTC asks labour ministry to order striking drivers back to work
Corporate Communications Manager at the JUTC, Cecil Thoms, said it is noteworthy that the drivers were paid in line with the Heads of Agreement, signed on March 17, 2023 by their union.
The drivers walked off the job during rush hour Wednesday, a move that left hundreds of commuters stranded.
They were protesting for better pay, having expressed their dissatisfaction with their salary following the recently- signed new compensation agreement.