KINGSTON, Jamaica--Following months of deliberations, public teachers in Jamaica have finally accepted the government’s four-year wage offer.
The teachers have agreed to wage increases over the agreed period of five per cent in the first year; two and four per cent in the second and third years, respectively; and five per cent in the final year.
At the signing of the new Heads of Agreement for the 2017 to 2021 contract period between the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) and the government, Finance Minister Dr. Nigel Clarke said the administration values the nation’s teachers and the role they play in the society.
“The teachers of Jamaica represent a foundation in our society. We have all been influenced by teachers who have played crucial roles in our own individual lives, and we wouldn’t be where we are without our teachers,” he said.
Dr. Clarke added that he was pleased that an agreement was reached that all involved were comfortable with.
President of the JTA, Georgia Waugh Richards, said she was glad that all parties have come to an agreement after a tough negotiating process.
“We had brought the offer to the teachers of Jamaica, and we all agreed that the four-year contract period would hold, but there are other items of fringe benefits that had seen improvements, and based on that, the teachers decided that it was now time to accept,” she said.
“We have listened to the voices of the teachers of Jamaica and we have acted according to their wishes, and so we look forward to future collaborations and discussions as they relate to the well-being of the teachers of Jamaica.” ~ Caribbean360 ~
