Truckers wanted
Published:Tuesday | April 5, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Bauxite opens opportunities in St Ann
Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer
OCHO RIOS, St Ann:
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES have opened up in the bauxite industry in St Ann for owners and operators of large trucks.
One private contractor, Noel Hill, is seeking between 20 and 30 trucks to haul bauxite for Windalco, and has promised best rates of pay for persons who are interested.
Hill worked as a contractor with Noranda Bauxite in Discovery Bay, St Ann for more than three years, but is now focused on activities at Windalco.
The Gleaner carried an advertisement in last Wednesday's edition, inviting owners and operators of trucks to contact the contractor.
Hill told The Gleaner that he was upbeat about opportunities in the bauxite sector overall.
"There will always be the need for aluminium on the world market, so the bauxite industry will survive," he explained.
Currently, Hill has several trucks in operation, but needs to supplement his team for operations in the Moneague area of St Ann.
"We are expanding, so we are looking for between 20 and 30 trucks to operate as private contractors. We are looking at a three- to five-year contract, because there is definitely a future in the industry. As long as you can perform, we can use you long term," Hill said.
He added: "So, we are offering the opportunity for people to come on board and make some money. We are paying the best rates, we pay on time, on a two-weekly basis, because we don't like to owe our truckers."
continued upturn
The expansion of operations in the St Ann area signifies a continued upturn in the bauxite industry following the economic depression two years ago that forced the closure of the Windalco Kirkvine operations in Manchester and the laying off of hundreds of workers at Noranda.
Noranda has since reopened, and has recorded increased production over the past year.
In March, Noranda's president, Pansy Johnson, announced that the company would increase its production by 20 per cent to "at least 5.1 million tonnes next year."
Meanwhile, operations at Windalco Kirkvine are expected to resume in July this year, according to Mining and Energy Minister James Robertson, who made the announcement in February.