The management of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company is being criticised for its poor handling of the deductions of advanced payments from the salaries of drivers, which led to industrial action.
The funds to cover an advance paid in December last year were withdrawn from the March salary, leaving some workers with a zero balance on their pay slips.
The JUTC management yesterday agreed to refund the amounts withdrawn and follow an agreed payment plan.
Opposition spokesman on Transport, Mikael Phillips, says the JUTC's management should have been mindful of industrial action by other public sector workers and advised the workers of its intention.
He was a guest today on the Morning Agenda on Power 106.
Mr Phillips says the JUTC cannot afford to lose a day of revenue considering the billions of dollars in operating losses projected for the 2023–2024 financial year, which starts tomorrow.
He says steps should be taken to effectively communicate with staff to prevent industrial action.
Meanwhile, speaking on Beyond the Headlines last evening, the Corporate Communications Manager at the JUTC, Cecil Thoms, said the estimated loss in revenue from the two days of protest by the drivers could be in the region of three million dollars.
