KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) says it is “highly unacceptable” that several categories of teachers across the island are yet to receive their monthly salaries, more than a day after the payments were due.

The salaries were due to be paid on Tuesday, October 25.

In a release on Thursday, the JTA said the payment delay has put a further strain on educators whom it says are already underpaid.

“While the data pours in for collation to be sent to the Ministry of Education, let it be known that this is highly unacceptable! Teachers who are already underpaid, will now have to find additional sums to offset arrears in which their loans will now fall,” the JTA said. “The teacher again must bear this burden? Who truly cares? What is worse, the association nor the board of management of any institution, to the best of my knowledge, have not received any communication from the ministry to inform us of the delays.”

The JTA said the financial challenge is further compounded by a non-payment of grants to some schools which it says has left creditors “up in arms” and principals “embarrassed and in hiding owing to their inability to settle debt.”

Responding to the concerns expressed by the JTA, a source close to the issue confirmed to OBSERVER ONLINE that there was an issue with the payment of salaries to teachers. The source indicated, however, that the problem should be sorted by end of day Thursday.