By Francine Black, Staff ReporterTHE JAMAICA Teachers' Association (JTA) and the Ministry of Education are both blaming poor communication as the cause of the eight years of incorrect salary payments to teachers.
The JTA, which is usually responsible for informing teachers about changes in salary scales, was not made aware of the amendments to salaries for specialist teachers when the change was made.
Senator Noel Montieth, Minister of State for Education, said the information was not included in the document that is usually sent to the JTA when a reclassification is done.
"I also understand that the salary difference was small, so it was not easily noticeable," he said, referring to individual pay cheques.
NO NOTIFICATION FOR JTA
Patrick Smith, the JTA's senior secretary, said the association had not received notification of the salary changes, and as a result, teachers were not advised.
The JTA, even before the Education Ministry's admission that the teachers had not been advised about their new status, had told the Ministry that acting on legal advice, the teachers had no plans to repay the money.
The Ministry, acting on a formula set out by the Ministry of Finance, had started drawing funds from the salaries of the affected teachers, but ceased after the JTA objected.
Mr. Smith told The Gleaner on Friday that there would be no pulling back from meetings to settle the matter.
"We will continue to hold talks with the ministry regarding the matter, through formal and informal meetings," he said.
The parties are at odds over a 1995 reclassification of teachers carried out by the Ministry.
