THE ISLAND'S more than 22,000 teachers will not receive this month's salary, due today, until next week.
In a release yesterday, Edwin Thomas, information officer in the Ministry of Education, said the delay occurred because the calculation and implementation of the new wage agreement for teachers were incomplete.
He said, however that the salaries would be paid no later than next Thursday.
Under the new salary contract, which was accepted by JTA delegates at a special meeting in May at the Jamaica Conference Centre, a three per cent increase will be made for April 1, 2002 to September 30, 2003. From that point onwards, a salary adjustment in keeping with a realignment exercise will see teachers receiving salaries to compare with 75 per cent of those in the private sector. This adjustment ranges from 16 per cent to 34 per cent and applies, according to the position of educators in the service.
At the signing for the new wage packages on June 4, it was disclosed that the new rates, as outlined in the contractual arrangement for April 2002 to March 2004, would be paid this month. Retroactive salaries however are to be disbursed in November.
