JTA presses Government for teacher wage action after 16% taxi fare increase

Jamaica Teachers Association President Mark Malaba is urging the Government to move beyond assurances and deliver concrete action in wage talks, warning that teachers are increasingly worried about being short-changed in negotiations with the Finance Ministry.

Malaba said the recently approved 16 per cent fare increase for route taxi operators will place fresh strain on educators, many of whom depend on public transportation to get to work. He said the additional cost has intensified anxiety among JTA members at a time when the union is already dissatisfied with what has been placed on the negotiating table.

The Finance Ministry has recently restated that teachers' salaries will be treated as a priority among key items going forward. But Malaba said teachers need results, not renewed promises.

"Enough of words," he said. "We have been over the years we have been big on words but small on action. I think we are now at the point where the teachers wants to want to see tangible action being taken that that will impact their lives in a significant way."

While acknowledging that the fare adjustment for transport operators can be justified, the JTA president argued that the burden cannot continue to fall mainly on teachers. He said Jamaican educators should be compensated in a way that reflects their contribution and professional worth.

Malaba also pointed to regional comparisons, saying teachers in Jamaica are among the lowest paid in the Caribbean. He said that situation is difficult to defend on the grounds of social justice, especially when workers are being asked to make sacrifices.

According to Malaba, the Government had promised to provide an updated response to the JTA's list of claims by last week. The association, he said, is still waiting.