Teachers await response on outstanding allowances

Barrington Flemming, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) President Clayton Hall says he is still awaiting a response from the Government to the month-long ultimatum issued by the 24,000-member strong organisation for outstanding allowances owed for the 2008-2010 contract period.

Hall told Western Focus during the JTA Education Conference in Montego Bay last week that the association is yet to be updated on the decisions by the Ministry of Finance or the Ministry of Education since it submitted a letter on Monday, March 25, requesting that the Government pay the outstanding allowances and emoluments by April 30.

The principal issues that the teachers are asking to be addressed are outstanding allowances for gear for teachers in all-age and junior high schools, teachers in early childhood institutions, as well as motor-vehicle allowance.

"Subsequently, we have not had any communication from the Ministry of Education regarding these items - three items to be exact. They speak to upkeep allowance for travelling officers, protective clothing for those teachers so designated, and the payment of teachers in basic schools, their senior-teacher allowance and special-responsibility allowance," he said.

Hall also pointed out that teachers in non-bursary-paid schools had to wait for months to be paid allowances.

The JTA is one of several public-sector groups which have recently signed a wage-freeze agreement in an effort to aid the Government's bid to secure a loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund.