Access to Hope Gardens restored following protest by workers

By Lorraine Walker   

 

Access has been restored to Hope Gardens pending the outcome of a meeting involving the National Workers Union, the Management of the facility and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

 

The meeting was scheduled for 12 o'clock Tuesday.

 

Members of the public were denied access to the facility on Tuesday morning after staff changed the locks to protest shift changes by management.

 

Senior Visitor Services Officer Jose Solan told Radio Jamaica News that the issue surrounded a unilateral decision by management to convert staff from 12 to 8 hour shifts, resulting in a pay cut.

 

He said the Ministry of Agriculture intervened and issued instructions to Nature Preservation Foundation which have been ignored.

 

"Instructions given to them by the ministry is that we should resume the flat 12 hours, continue negotiations, and get back to them by November once we have concluded those negotiations. That failed to materialise, and so, this morning, the workers decided that they were going to demonstrate," said Mr. Solan. 

 

He said the staff is prepared to continue their protest if they are dissatisfied with the outcome of Tuesday's meeting.