By John Myers Jr., Staff Reporter 
Disabled garbage trucks on MPM compound.
THE MANAGEMENT of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) and the University and Allied Workers Union (UAWU) are to meet with representatives of the Ministry of Labour on Monday to settle the impasse which has affected operations at the state-run bus company.
The Labour Ministry's intervention came on the heels of a stand-off that has resulted in the nearly 2000 bus drivers and conductors, represented by the UAWU, going on work-to-rule since Monday to press demands for retroactive payments, effective from April 1, to be extended to last year when the restructuring exercise began. The meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. at the Ministry.
The union has also voiced its displeasure at the decision of the JUTC to make redundant the positions of just over 130 conductors and conductresses under the current restructuring exercise by next week. This phase of the exercise is expected to be carried out in time for the new school year which begins on September 3.
Keith Goodison, the JUTC's vice-president of Human Resources and Public Relations, said yesterday that 132 conductors and conductresses will be made redundant as part of the phased restructuring exercise now underway at the company.
The redundancies come as the JUTC is set to introduce 53 new single operator buses, as part of recommendations from a Swedish consultancy team to improve efficiency. The single operator buses, which cost between $9.5 million and $10 million, are expected to account for about 20 per cent of the projected 450 buses operated by the JUTC. Already the company has 23 single operator buses in operation.
The JUTC's vice-president explained that most of those laid off would be trained and brought back into the company to fill the demand for drivers to operate the new buses.
Mr. Goodison explained further that this was already on the table during negotiations with the union. Furthermore, he said the company expressed a desire for discussions to be held to decide on a method to choose those to be trained as drivers at the JUTC's expense. However, he said the union has not responded.
