"We cannot, however, guarantee the stability of the education
system from now onward." - ComrieWHEN SADIE Esmin Comrie took over the leadership of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) one year ago, she was inheriting a history of struggles with Government over salaries and other benefits.
The top seat of the JTA is almost always hot as the long-standing salary battles have not waned in the past years.
Mrs. Comrie has been the Guidance Counsellor at the Lewisville High School in New Market, St. Elizabeth since 1992. She has also taught Language and Communication for many years. She is no stranger to the JTA's fight for better pay.
According to the JTA's Web site Mrs. Comrie, who has been a very active member of the association since 1980, was '...a Contact Teacher for 10 years, delegate to annual Conference, St. Elizabeth Parish Association representative of the parish to General Council, Chairman International Relations Commit-tee and member of the Central Executive'.
Last week Mrs. Comrie, the 35th president of the JTA was leading the fight for better pay, as her angry colleagues are resolute in their decision to take action against Government because the current wage increase offer falls far below their expectation.
"I have not gotten all the information but, so far, all the parishes are in one accord, calling on the Government to rethink their position on the offer. They are sending resolutions. Some are calling for immediate strike action and all of them totally rejected the offer," Mrs Comrie told The Gleaner.
Mrs. Comrie, some say, has been too patient, waiting through general election and a series of rejected offers for an acceptable settlement which was never to come.
"The association has been patient over the period of the negotiations and up to now has prevailed on its members to refrain from any protest action. We cannot, however, guarantee the stability of the education system from now onward," Mrs. Comrie warned, following a meeting to discuss a letter sent to the JTA by the Ministry of Finance.
The letter, Mrs. Comrie said, simply tried to give the appearance of an increase by adding a 2.15 per cent, offered by Government on teachers' yearly increments, to the three per cent being offered in each year of the 2002-2004 contract period. She said that the 2.15 per cent cannot count as an increase because it should have been implemented three years ago during the last wage negotiations.
Last October, the JTA, representing some 20,000 teachers in the public school system rejected an offer from the Government and instead presented an ultimatum for the authorities to come up with a serious and realistic offer on their 29-point claim for improved salaries and fringe benefits.
The Government had reportedly made offers on only seven of the 45 items submitted in the previous JTA claim.
In addition, for the teachers who study on their own time, who do part-time study and qualify themselves, the JTA asked for 50 per cent of their tuition to be repaid to them and that was accepted, Mrs. Comrie said.
However, the Government has refused a claim by the teachers for motor vehicle duty concessions to those who have given more than 10 years of service to the profession, as well as transport allow-ance for all teachers.
The Government also rejected the call by the teachers for parcels of land to be set aside in each parish to provide them with housing solutions, as well as housing allowance to those teachers who were not currently benefiting.
