The Jamaica Teachers’ Association’s (JTA) delegates have made one of the biggest blunders in their 51-year history by accepting a rather demeaning offer from Government. I have always thought that it is unacceptable for an employer to offer any set of workers a four per cent increase in salary — this is worse, especially after the teachers have been patient and kind with respect to forgoing wage increases for five years prior.

The appalling and downright demeaning thing in the offer to a professional group like the teachers — some of whom have undergone training for periods up to eight years in colleges and universities — is that when the proposed increase is worked out, most teachers will not see a movement of more than $4000 per month. You may do the mathematics and work out the weekly increase.

I am not sure that any union representing even the lowest-paid workers in Jamaica should seek to accept an offer as insulting as the one put forward to teachers, certainly by way of the percentages. I surely would not be accepting that level of increase for the janitor, gardener, or any other member of the ancillary staff at the school I lead.

The fool’s way

While I am fully understanding of the way democracies work, it is foolhardy to accept a proposal that contains items which are almost certain to lead to embarrassing moments, where the accepting members will be at the receiving end. Think of the potential troubles a teacher travelling on a Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) bus could undergo in trying to convince the operators that he or she is really a teacher. The fact is that many teachers do not have any form of identification card which certifies them as teachers. And, who is to say that teachers want to be identified or identifiable every time they travel on these JUTC buses? There is no dodging around the fact that the concessionary rate paid on the buses would have to be absorbed by the Government, so why not just give the teachers the funds in their hand and allow them their freedom to travel by their choice of transportation and pay the required fare? The real folly about the JUTC concessionary fares to teachers is that the bus company is in no position to transport the masses of the teachers represented by the JTA.

I think it unworthy to even make mention of a promise by Government to provide land for teachers to build houses; not only because there is no named location for these lots, but for the mere fact that history could jolly well repeat itself with an offer nearing the one in the 1980s when teachers were offered housing solutions at ‘Callaloo Bed’ near Riverton City. To further complicate this situation is the fact that these lots can only be acquired if teachers meet the financial and other requirements. Therefore, a huge percentage of teachers will not qualify for these lots.

Taken as is

Whilst I do not know for a fact the extent of the Government’s ability and willingness to give teachers a better wage offer, I do know that from time immemorial governments find huge sums of money to take care of what they consider priority. I also know that the vast majority of Jamaican teachers provide sterling service while working in tremendously adverse conditions, compared to their counterparts in more developed countries.

I will gently remind everyone that the education sector in Jamaica, led by the huge numbers of JTA members, is showing among the largest percentage growth over the last few years. But the credit is hardly ever given to people who make it possible.

I know that our teachers deserve much better than what is offered and unacceptably accepted. The sly Government is now going to exclude itself from all this mess and quite likely say: “It was the JTA that accepted.”

Owen R Speid is principal at Rousseau Primary School in Kingston. Send comment to the Observer or speidowen@yahoo.com.

cover THURSDAY AUGUST 19, 2015