Labour Ministry intervenes in dispute involving restive ambulance drivers

 

The Ministry of Labour has intervened in the dispute involving ambulance drivers at the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA). 

 

The drivers attached to the Kingston and St. Andrew Health Department continued their protest action for a second day on Tuesday. 

 

The employees are protesting against the non-payment of overtime and retroactive payments due last month. 

 

The sick out came in response to an apparent missed July 4 deadline given by the department. 

 

The drivers are represented by the Jamaica Association of Local Government Officers (JALGO).  

 

JALGO General Secretary Helene Davis Whyte told Radio Jamaica News that she expects a resolution to the dispute on Wednesday.

 

"The Ministry of Labour has scheduled a meeting for tomorrow morning in an effort to settle the dispute between the drivers in the Kingston and St. Andrew Health Department and the management of the health department. The issues in dispute are the non-payment of retroactive increments, undue delay in the payment of overtime and an upgrade of drivers in the system. The meeting will proceed and we expect that we will have a resolution at the end of the meeting and that the members will report for duty and that normalcy will be restored in the department as of tomorrow morning," she said. 

 

The ambulance drivers serve the Kingston Public Hospital, Bustamante Hospital for Children, National Chest Hospital and Hope Institute.