Water should again be flowing in the pipes of Jamaicans this morning, Labour Minister Karl Samuda assured the country late Tuesday afternoon, hours after National Water Commission (NWC) workers, angered by the Government’s handling of a compensation review, cut supplies to thousands of customers islandwide.

“This could not be allowed to continue on a protracted basis, and I am very pleased to advise that, to a great degree, water has been restored,” Samuda said just before Parliament adjourned.

He was responding to Opposition Member of Parliament Fitz Jackson’s question as to whether the lock-off would continue until further progress was made in conciliatory talks at the ministry, or there was an interim arrangement pending resolution of the issues.

At press time, NWC and trade union officials were still locked in talks.

“We will ensure, during the course of the negotiations, that everything is done to have that flow of water on a continuous basis, while we discuss the matter,” Samuda said.

He advised the House that his ministry had intervened after the unscheduled lock-off became an issue, and, as the NWC is an essential service, a 72-hour notice is required for any industrial action to be taken by its employees under the Labour Relations and Industrial Disputes Act.

Reacting to the strike, Jamaica Association of Local Government Officers (JALGO) President Helene Davis-Whyte said, “It is really a question that enough is enough for them, and they need to have this resolved once and for all. So they have decided to take action as of this morning.”

She stated that while a long-awaited reclassification has been stalled, the workers have now learnt that they will not benefit from the current compensation review which is currently being implemented by the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service.

Workers, some displaying placards, locked the gate to the NWC’s plant at Marescaux Road, St Andrew, early Tuesday morning.

“We not gonna turn on the water. We are staying right out here till justice has come. We are at the bottom of the table when it comes on to payment. We need better basic pay, we are not getting what we are supposed to get,” one worker told the Jamaica Observer.

Jamaica Chamber of Commerce President Ian Neita said, while he understood the workers’ plight, the lock-off couldn’t have come at a worse time because the country was still facing the effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“I think the timing is really unfortunate. While I do have an understanding of the workers’ position and the fact that they have waited 10 years on the reclassification, it’s unfortunate that it had to come now when we are in the middle of a health crisis. As far as businesses are concerned, it will definitely affect us; it will affect production, as water is used in many factories. It will also affect employees who would be inconvenienced at home and may not be able to come to work,” Neita told the Observer.

Island Grill owner Thalia Lyn raised similar concerns.

“Health and safety are of high importance for us at Island Grill; therefore, we must have clean water, especially with the pandemic and its Omicron 2 variant still lurking around,” she said.

“We have water tanks in all our stores and support centre, but the amount of water that we use for washing up and cleaning can only supply for a few days. It is therefore with fingers crossed that we are hoping that the workers will realise that this is a bad way to flex and that they’re not garnering public support, only ill will. While I do empathise with the concerns, NWC is an essential service so this strike by them will affect hospitals, schools, factories, and the country in general,” she said.

The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica expressed hope that the Government and the workers will reach an amicable solution quickly, “so we can continue the journey of recovering from the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic, even as we continue to buffer against the current tensions in Europe, which have also had a global cross-cutting effect”.

The Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association, too, called for a speedy resolution to the dispute as it expressed concern about the impact the strike would have on its members.

In addition to JALGO, the workers are also being represented by the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union, the National Workers’ Union, and the Jamaica Union of Public Officers and Public Employees.