NSWMA Workers Recognised

A Supervisor at the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), whose quick and decisive action calmed an incident involving a sanitation worker and a resident, was among two employees publicly recognised on Tuesday (January 7), for their exemplary action and presented with certificates of commendation.

The supervisor, Dennis Williams, and sanitation worker, Earlston Ellis, were commended by Executive Director of the NSWMA, Audley Gordon, and presented with the certificates during the company’s Directors/Managers meeting, held at The Courtleigh Hotel, in Kingston.

Mr. Gordon explained that during the Christmas holidays, a team of workers who had been dispatched in the Meadowbrook area in St. Andrew, went to a premises to collect garbage, and a dispute developed between a worker and a resident.

Mr. Ellis, who was present, quickly called the Supervisor, who rushed to the scene and ordered the worker to apologise to the resident and also to clean her bin, which he observed was not properly cleared.

Following the incident, the resident wrote a letter to the NSWMA requesting that Mr. Williams be commended by Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, and Mr. Gordon, for the way in which he handled the situation.

“In less than five minutes, Dennis came and told him to apologise to me. He further instructed him to clean out the bin properly,” the resident said in the letter, which was shown on a projector during the presentation.

“I think what Dennis did was highly commendable and must be rewarded. He exceeded expectations and showed a level of customer care that is uncommon for the NSWMA,” the resident added.

Mr. Gordon, in commending both men for their impressive action said that Mr. Ellis’ “positive action” to step up during the incident reflected the training that had been given to both of them by the company, and also that Mr. Ellis epitomises courage, which is lacking in many areas of society.

“The action that was taken to call the supervisor was not only courageous, but extremely decent, and that the supervisor would have seen it necessary to move with dispatch and to remedy the situation showed the kind of maturity we want from our supervisors, our managers, and our directors, because collectively, all of us will transform the agency and make the NSWMA not just a place where we manage garbage, transportation, storage and collection but a model agency that is worthy of emulation,” he noted.

At the same time, Mr. Gordon indicated that the company’s action to reward the men must not be construed as a recognition for doing their job, but rather for doing their job in a way that surpassed expectations, which according to the resident, is seen as uncommon from the sanitation workers.

“The NSWMA was being held to a lower standard, but this development which took place shows us clearly in a different light. It means that the householder now holds us to a higher standard, and that’s where we want to be. We want to be held to a higher standard,” he said.

“We, therefore, see it as something very positive, newsworthy and noteworthy and something that we ought to keep close to us as we go through 2020. Through our actions when we go to do our work, we must help to promote and lift up the standards of the NSWMA and, by extension, our country,” Gordon added.

In the meantime, Mr. Williams and Mr. Ellis told JIS News that the award was unexpected as they were both doing their work, but they are happy for the recognition.

“I try to do my best at all times and I try to put a facelift on the company by monitoring the sanitation workers. When customers feel comfortable, the company will feel comfortable,” he said.

For his part, Mr. Ellis said he was simply doing his job that day. “I feel grateful for what has happened, but I never knew I would have gotten commendation for it,” he said.