Teachers not giving up wage fight

The Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) says teachers are livid about the level of wage increase they are being asked to accept and will not let up in their fight to get a higher offer.

At a hastily called press conference Friday afternoon, the JTA also took issue with the 26 per cent increase Finance Minister Audley Shaw, has indicated teachers would get over four years, based on the current offer.

On Thursday, during the budget debate, Shaw said along with the 16 per cent increase, workers would get annual performance-based increments of 2.5 per cent. 

But the JTA says not all teachers would qualify for these yearly increases.

The JTA has also taken issue with the payment this month of the five per cent increase, which will cover the first year of the four-year deal.

It says the move is unprecedented in light of the fact that the current salary negotiation has not been concluded nor a Heads of Agreement signed.

The JTA says if the payment is made this month it would view the action of the Finance Ministry as being tantamount to union busting and a breach of Collective Bargaining Rights.

But speaking at a press conference Friday morning, Shaw insisted that the payments have to be made before the end of the fiscal year.

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