It’s official! NSWMA workers get permanent-employment letters

IRowe, a sanitation worker at the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), left the agency’s head office on Half-Way Tree Road in St Andrew on Monday a happy man after receiving a letter confirming his permanent employment.

“I feel so good this morning. Since I got the call, I am feeling so happy. I love my job, and I am doing my best to take it to another level,” Rowe expressed.

Truck driver Deon Griffiths shared similar sentiments, stating, “It is a great feeling, and I will continue to do my work with excellence.”

On October 14, the government began the process of transitioning NSWMA workers and those in its four regional branches into 3,813 new permanent positions.

This transition, affecting drivers, sanitation officers, and other operational staff, marks a significant advancement in stabilizing and enhancing solid waste management services across Jamaica, according to NSWMA Executive Director Audley Gordon.

Executive Director of the NSWMA Audley Gordon (centre), joins in the handover of permanent-employment letters to workers at the agency’s Half-Way Tree Road office in S. Andrew on Monday (October 14). From left, Director of Corporate Services, Sheenique Johnson, makes a presentation to driver, Deon Griffiths, while Director of Operations, Aretha McFarlane, presents sanitation worker, Ian Rowe, with his letter of employment.

During the closing of the Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on March 26, Minister of Finance and the Public Service Dr Nigel Clarke announced Cabinet's approval for the establishment of new permanent posts within the NSWMA. This includes positions within the MPM Waste Management Authority, NEPM Waste Management Authority, SPM Waste Management Authority, and WPM Waste Management Authority.

“At the moment, there are only 269 posts; everyone else is on contract. Sanitation workers, truck drivers, route supervisors, enforcement officers, and mechanics – all of the working people in the NSWMA and its subsidiaries for the past 30 years were on contract,” he explained. “We will make workers in the NSWMA and their subsidiaries permanent.”

Gordon, on Monday, reminded the newly permanent staff that it is now up to them to “keep your jobs, because the Government has done its part.”

NSWMA Director of Corporate Services Sheenique Johnson noted that the workers now benefit from life insurance, health coverage, and a soon-to-be-finalized pension scheme.

“This is an important occasion for the staff who are on the streets every day keeping the environment clean,” added Director of Operations Aretha McFarlane. “Their long service and dedication have paid off, and it is a new reality for them.”

The NSWMA, operating under the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, provides essential solid waste management services to safeguard public health and contribute to a cleaner and more appealing environment for residents and visitors alike.