The Jamaican Government says it has forwarded long-awaited retroactive payments to schools islandwide for distribution to public sector teachers.
The teachers and the government have been at odds over the issue for some time, with the matter ending up at the Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT).
In October, the IDT ruled that the government should pay $500 million of the $8 billion owed to public sector teachers this year.
In a release this afternoon, the education ministry advised that the cheques were sent out yesterday.
It says regular salaries for teachers at bursar paid institutions were also uploaded by the National Commercial Bank (NCB) yesterday.
The ministry says accounts in banks other than the NCB were expected to be credited by 3 o’clock this afternoon.
And the education ministry says cheques for teachers at non bursar-paid schools were sent out today.
Meanwhile, the education ministry says cheques for the retroactive sums and regular salaries of watchmen will be sent out tomorrow morning for payment on December 23.
In the meantime immediate past president of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), Michael Stewart, says some teachers in Regions two, three, four and five have been having difficulties encashing their cheques.
Stewart says the JTA has received information that teachers are being told to hold on to the cheques until they are further advised.
However, when contacted Director of Communications in the education ministry, Colin Blair said the delay in some teachers getting their money is due to the lag-time it takes NCB to pass on the funds to other banks.
Blair says the ministry has been assured that those accounts should be updated within the hour.
SOURCE: JA Gleaner
