340 JUTC workers redundant

The government and the union representing workers at the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), have signed a proposal to make the positions of 340 workers redundant.



This comprises 256 bus conductors and 84 drivers. 100 workers are to be made redundant by the end of the week.



The President of the University and Allied Workers Union (UAWU), Lambert Brown said 220 of the workers applied for voluntary redundancy.



The Transport Minister, Mike Henry said he would be seeking to help the JUTC workers, who are to lose their jobs.



Mr. Brown said the workers had expected the redundancy given the challenges facing the company.



He said some of the drivers whose positions are to be cut were considered to be accident-prone.



The redundancy is part of a cost saving effort by the JUTC, which has been losing $1million monthly.