By Trudy Simpson, Staff ReporterEDUCATION OFFICERS (EOs) are expected to resume work this morning, but will meet later today to determine their next move, following the Ministry of Finance's failure to respond to concerns which led to a two-day strike.
The officers called off the strike last night, although the Ministry did not reply to accusations that it has reneged on promises made during the current wage contract negotiations.
"All education officers are to be back in their posts and we are meeting in the afternoon around 5:00 p.m. in the various regions," said president of the Jamaica Association of Education Officers (JAEO), Mary Nichols, yesterday. She confirmed that finance officials were still silent on the matter.
At a press briefing Monday, vice chairman of the JAEO's negotiating team, Dr. Fitz Russell, said Government refused to "maintain established relativities between education officers and the teaching service, as agreed in the Heads of Agreement for 2000 to 2003."
ENSURE THEIR POSITIONS
The over 260 EOs want to ensure their positions are relative to those of other educators, including principals.
He said a draft agreement and proposed pay plan was discussed at a meeting on August 19 and the negotiating team expected to receive a revised agreement draft and an improved pay plan at a meeting on September 9. Instead, they received a Ministry letter contradicting agreements made on August 19. They said the two-day strike followed the Ministry's failure to respond to the EOs' letter asking for an explanation by 4:00 p.m. on September 11.
Ms. Nichols had indicated Monday that JAEO members would meet if there was no response from Government.
Education officers said then that some principals earn between 4.7 to 11.2 per cent higher than them, although their positions are related to those of principals at the primary to tertiary levels.
The EOs, whose duties range from helping to formulate and implement Government policies to training school boards, developing curricula and administering national examinations, said Government is unwilling to implement aspects of the last agreement.
The agreement stated that an appropriate adjustment will be made to the basic salary and allowances of the education officers, if the across-the-board increase of three per cent in year three was exceeded within other areas of the civil/teaching service.
They said this was exceeded when Government implemented the 80 per cent of market, which was used as the basis for increasing and adjusting the salaries of civil servants, permanent secretaries, teachers, parliamentarians and cabinet ministers.
"They honoured the agreement for these groups. We are insisting that they honour our agreement with them as well," said Dr. Russell.
