ROSE HALL, St James — President of the Jamaica Teachers’ Associations (JTA), Doran Dixon has warned that the JTA is not bluffing about its intention to take industrial action if the Government does not increase the five per cent wage offer that it has made to public sector workers this year.

“We don’t make no empty promises and we don’t call no bluffs. If you do not treat us properly and come to the table, then things cannot be business as usual. We not threatening anybody, but look at the gate, it says beware. You can determine if you want to risk ignoring the sign at the gate,” Dixon cautioned.

In fact, the JTA boss insinuated that if there is no improvement in the Government’s offer, there could be disruptions in the school system.

“While we would do nothing as the Jamaica Teacher’s Association to distract from the visit of the President of the United States, after he is gone it’s not going to be business as usual if five per cent stays at five per cent. We cannot allow ourselves to be taken for granted. Therefore, we have to take a stance at some point,” warned Dixon.

The JTA President was addressing the opening ceremony of the organisation’s three-day Education Conference 2015, which was held under the theme: “Reaching every learner-understanding the brain: new insights on learning and brain development”, held at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa last week.

He said that the teachers should not be viewed as unpatriotic because of their rejection of the paltry five per cent wage offer.

The Government is attempting to reduce its wage bill to nine per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).

“We have no intention of putting in jeopardy, Jamaica’s economic programme and we do not want anybody to put us on this guilt trip. We have been patriotic and we expect that those with the ability to do so, will demonstrate some patriotism to those public sector workers who would have demonstrated it before and give us a fair offer,” he remarked.

“Five per cent is not going to work because we have waited, we have sacrificed, we were committed to the cause. There is a statement that we can’t expect to get everything that we did not get in that five years wage freeze in this settlement. We are not naïve. We understand that. But five per cent is not going to work,” Dixon said.

The five-year wage freeze agreement that the teachers, as well as other public sector workers, entered into with the Government ended on March 31.