An overwhelming number of delegates of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) yesterday ratified the salary agreement offered by the Government.

Speaking with The Gleaner/ Power 106 news centre yesterday, just hours after signing off on the agreement, JTA president Doran Dixon said the new salary scales would take effect in December.

In addition, teachers would also be receiving extra benefits as part of the new agreement.

More than 30 items were presented to the Government, most of which, Dixon said, the Government responded positively to.

No specific figure

More than 22,000 public-sector teachers will now be looking forward to the Christmas holiday. Because of the different categories of public-sector teachers, Dixon was unable to provide a specific salary figure that teachers can now expect.

The JTA president also clarified for Gleaner/Power 106 that the 80 per cent salary increase the association was negotiating had nothing to do with private-sector educators, but had more to do with the general private sector labour market.

"We were not comparing ourselves with private-sector teachers," he stated.