Teachers stage sick-out at STETHS
ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — Activities for Jamaica Day have been disrupted at the St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) as teachers have staged a sick-out, reportedly over wage negotiations.
The placard-bearing teachers were on Friday dressed in black.
OBSERVER ONLINE understands that the teachers have labelled it as a ‘sit-in’ for better compensation packages.
Principal of STETHS, Keith Wellington, told OBSERVER ONLINE that the school is “managing” despite the sick-out.
“I’m not saying that we have not been affected, we are managing… Some of the activities that we have planned we are not going through with those activities, but we are going through with others,” he said.
Minister of Finance and the Public Service Dr Nigel Clarke on Tuesday announced that $4.3 billion has been tacked on to the budget for this fiscal year, which ends on March 31.
Clarke had previously warned that if the groups did not sign the wage agreements before the end of this fiscal year they could face up to a year’s delay in getting the new rates, as the Government would not be able to accommodate this in the budget for 2023/2024.
The police, doctors, and teachers are some of the major groups which have refused to sign off on the new compensation package until there is an improved offer from the Government.