JTA boss warns Finance Minister to pay teachers retro by Thursday

Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) President Winston Smith says he intends to hold Finance and Public Service Minister Dr Nigel Clarke to his pledge to pay teachers all their retroactive money by the end of this month.

The JTA boss told The Gleaner that he had been receiving calls since last week from the association's members at some ministry-paid schools who are yet to receive retroactive sums in keeping with the recently signed Heads of Agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the JTA.

“The minister of finance, I have him on tape, having said that every dollar will be paid by the end of the financial year,” Smith said.

The 2021/22 financial year ends on Thursday.

“What is happening is that between the Government of Jamaica and the teachers we are now developing a high level of trust deficit where we can no longer take the Government at its word,” Smith complained.

He said the failure of government to deliver on its promise would also impact his reputation.

"I cannot go to the teachers anymore and say 'let us do this' and the government will honour because the disappointment that the teachers are facing is just too much to bear,” he charged.

The JTA president said he has had to be urging teachers to show up for schools as some have already warned that they might not turn up to work if they are not paid the retroactive sums.

Smith also chided the Government for failing to pay an estimated 200 to 300 teachers money owed to them for teaching during summer school last year.

“I want the Government to pay the teachers dem money.”

He said the teachers made the sacrifice and provided the assistance in the interest of the country and in good faith.

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