JAMAICA Teachers’ Association (JTA) President Mark Malabver has again warned that the island’s public school teachers cannot guarantee normalcy when the new school year starts on September 1.

Speaking with the Jamaica Observer following a meeting of the National Partnership Council aimed at resolving the dissonance around the Government’s latest wage offer to public sector workers on Monday, Malabver said while the talks were fruitful the teachers remain militant.

“I did indicate in the meeting that our members have instructed that the action committee of the JTA be activated; that was communicated to them in no uncertain terms. I believe they would have understood our position in terms of what we would have said and where we are in the process,” said Malabver.

He said while further discussions should take place between Monday and Tuesday of next week the JTA is “still not in a position to guarantee normalcy going forward”.

The logjam stems from the Government’s four-year offer of zero per cent in year one, and 2.5 per cent for each of the next three years, which was put on the table in July but has been roundly rejected by unions.

According to Malabver, despite the meeting — which included the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU); the Jamaica Civil Service Association; members of the private sector including Keith Duncan, chairman of the Fiscal Advisory Committee; and Government ministers Finance Minister Fayval Williams, Education Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon; and others — the cause of the teachers remains outstanding.

“The meeting centred a lot on mediation. There were presentations about the fiscal space the Government has at its disposal. There were presentations from the minister, from JCTU as well as Mr Duncan.We all spoke in that meeting. We pretty much gave a response to those presentations. We have laid our cards on the table in terms of where we are coming from and what we would like to see. The minister said certain things in that meeting, notwithstanding those things we are still where we are,” said Malabver.

“It is a negotiation, we have maintained that zero percent is not an offer. The members continue to be restive and until an offer is placed on the table [and] it is not likely that the members are going to just turn off that level of restiveness unless something is placed on the table,” added Malabver as he underscored that the JTA’s discomfort was about more than just salaries.

“We have submitted a list of claims to the ministry. That list of claims does not just include salaries and emoluments and compensation — that’s a critical component of our list of claims — but there are other items on our list of claims that we would also want to see some movement on. Those items for example have to do with issues around funding of schools, issues around safety and security, those types of things with respect to school and establishing standards within our schools,” he pointed out.

In the meantime JCTU President St Patrice Ennis, speaking with the Observer following the meeting, said it used the talks to press home its original position.

“We reiterated our position with respect to the increment. the 7.5 per cent ought not to be treated as a response to our claim for increase or improvement in salaries for years 2025/26/27. We reiterated that position and we made mention that, that payment flowed from an agreement with the former Minister of Finance Dr Nigel Clarke in September of last year,” said Ennis.

“We submitted our claim two months after such an agreement so in no way, shape or form can that agreement for the restoration of increment be treated as a response to our claim for improvement in salaries [for the three years] two months after that agreement,” Ennis pointed out.

According to the JCTU head, the Government’s current stance is at odds with its own fiscal policy indications.

“When we look at the Fiscal Policy Paper for the Government in February 2025, we see clearly where there is a nine per cent increase for improvement in public sector compensation for the year 2025/26. When we look further for 2026 to 2027 and 2028 we see six per cent increase for each year, so we in no way shape or form see why the Government is proposing zero and 2.5 per cent. That is not something we could acquiesce to. We pointed out those things to the minister and the Partnership Council,” added Ennis.

In a statement to the media Thursday afternoon, Morris Dixon said the discussions during the special meeting convened by the National Partnership Council, “were fruitful and concluded with firm commitments to move forward in the best interest of all Jamaicans”.

She said the finance minister, in stating the Government’s commitment to engaging in good faith, and continuing to work through the negotiations, was at the same time interested in balancing the well-being of public sector workers, safeguarding Jamaica’s “hard-won fiscal stability and long term growth” and finding “a balanced solution”.

Morris-Dixon said a smaller group of stakeholders will convene a meeting with the unions and the Government officials in coming weeks to “continue the dialogue”.

Minister of Education Dr Dana Morris Dixon addresses the JTA’s 61st Annual Conference on Wednesday. (Photo: JIS)

MALABVER… the JTA is still not in a position to guarantee normalcy going forward