THE JAMAICA Teachers' Association (JTA) finally signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government yesterday, six weeks after trade unions representing public sector workers affixed their signatures to the document.The JTA's signing of the agreement at the Ministry of Finance and Planning's Heroes Circle, Kingston office, will see the more than 22,000 teachers agreeing to a wage restraint of three per cent for two years.
Wentworth Gabbidon, JTA president, said the signing of the MoU was a sacrifice the teachers agreed to make. At the same time, he raised concerns about the increases in the price of some goods, services and utilities.
UNITY
"We have decided that in the interest of unity among the trade union movement and in the interest of building the economy, that we would affix our signatures. We are concerned about the rise in prices, not just of goods and services but utility rates, because when those go up they affect almost everything else," he said.
Mr. Gabbidon also voiced his concerns regarding the role of the private sector as it relates to making sacrifices. "We expect to see tangibles coming from the private sector, that they support by committing to keep prices at a reasonable level and even to the point of limiting the surplus of their profits."
EXPENDITURE BUDGET
Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Omar Davies, applauded the JTA for signing the MoU. He stated that the historic MoU had allowed the Government to put together an expenditure budget which was five to six billion dollars less. Dr. Davies also said that the MoU had helped the Government to step "forward into 2004/05. This is going to be a challenging year but it is a challenging year with significant prospects for expansion in the economy."
Maxine Henry-Wilson, Minister of Education, Youth and Culture, also lauded the JTA for agreeing to sign the document. "I am very happy, based on the leadership of the Jamaica Teachers' Association and the rational thinking of the members of the profession, that they have decided to sign the Memorandum of Understanding."
