(Jamaica Gleaner) The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona paid $1.3 million for the rental of a luxury vehicle to transport Vice Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, following a motor-vehicle crash that disabled the 2023 BMW X6 assigned to him.
The payment for the BMW X5 MSport rental covered a three-week period beginning February 2, the date of the motor-vehicle crash.
The cash-strapped UWI had agreed to an initial week of rental at US$370 per day using an exchange rate of $156 and also paid a US$1,000 incidental deposit. It is not clear whether the arrangement continued beyond the three weeks.
At the same time, The UWI terminated the contract of the driver assigned to the vice chancellor just over a week after the incident, which occurred on Old Hope Road in St Andrew, and offered a $67,000 separation payment.
The decision has sparked controversy and has angered some staff members at the regional institution, who have argued that the driver, who The Gleaner has opted not to identify, has served at the UWI Vice Chancellery for more than 20 years.
They believe the decision to terminate the contract was based entirely on the premise that the vehicle had been assigned to Sir Hilary.
“[Look] at the disparity in treatment. They offered a mere one month’s severance pay totalling $67,000 but opted to rent a BMW X5 for US$370 per day to accommodate the vice chancellor while the damaged vehicle undergoes repairs,” a disgruntled whistle-blower employed to the university told The Gleaner.
“This decision, particularly in the face of the university’s purported financial difficulties and failure to honour staff benefits and payments to suppliers, is an act of callousness,” the employee added.
In the termination letter dated February 13, which was seen by The Gleaner, The UWI told the discharged driver that his engagement to the Vice Chancellery, though long, had been “fraught” with a number of concerns.
It stated that these concerns had been discussed on numerous occasions.
“As a result, a decision has been made to not renew your contract as part-time drive/bearer/courier in the Office of Finance,” the letter read.
“We thank you for your service and wish you the very best in all your endeavours,” it added.
‘Side job’
Questions about the matter sent by The Gleaner to the university were not answered.
Instead, the university noted that the terminated driver is still an employee.
“Mr [name omitted] remains within the employ of the university,” a statement from The UWI said.
However, The Gleaner learnt that that position pertains to a “side job” done with the Mona Campus and was not a substantive post.
The Gleaner sought to ascertain via email from the university the full contractual arrangement between The UWI and the terminated driver, the duration/life of the contract, the grounds on which the contract was terminated, and whether he was compensated in full in accordance with Jamaica’s labour laws.
Additionally, the university did not respond to questions about the interim arrangement made by the university following the crash that damaged the vehicle assigned to the vice chancellor, the expected length of the arrangement, and how it was being funded.
A report on the driver’s dismissal has been submitted to the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union, The Gleaner was told.
A second employee who spoke to The Gleaner called the university’s decision “heartless” and “inhumane”.
The employee called for transparency from the university administration, arguing that the former driver, who was described as loyal, did not receive fair treatment before he was fired.
Further, the employee said the man was let go “without any prior disciplinary hearing or opportunity to explain the circumstances surrounding the accident”.
A report has been submitted to the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union, The Gleaner was told.