ROSE HALL, St James — Teachers gathered for their annual meeting on Tuesday failed to reach a consensus on the way forward in salary negotiations.

According to an insider within the Jamaica Teachers’ Association, one of the major sticking points is the fear that educators will be worse off after the ministry completes its realignment of public sector wages and benefits.

The JTA discussed the issue during a closed-door session on day two of the association’s 58th annual conference held at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in St James. Newly installed President La Sonja Harrison was guarded in her comments when queried on the discussion with members.

“We do not have an outcome. We had an information-sharing session as to where we are at, thus far, in what the Ministry of Finance has shared with us. We would have outlined to our members what has been shared, we highlighted our concerns and the reaction to our concerns, and we did not come to a conclusion,” she told the Observer.

Installed as the 2022-2023 JTA president on Monday, she said efforts will be made to have the information presented at the conference shared with other teachers across the island.

“Remember, it was simply just an information session to our delegates. Seventy-eight districts are represented here and we wanted to ensure that persons are updated so [that] when they go back they will be able to share what we did with them [with] their constituents,” stated Harrison.

Prior of the media being asked to leave the room ahead of Tuesday’s private session, some JTA members expressed dissatisfaction with what had transpired late Monday night.

“For me, I find it very disrespectful for the ministry to be meeting at the conference at midnight with the salaries committee [of the JTA]. I am offended by that. Why is it that we are facilitating it… because I am not pleased with it,” said one educator.

Harrison replied, “You are correct in your conclusion that this is a meeting for the reporting of the activities of the various committees. However, just maybe you did not hear so clearly and so, for a point of information, last night it was felt that the salaries and conditions of services committee will be having a brief meeting, not with the ministry of finance. So, having received the documentation [Monday night], an emergency meeting was called to share what we were in receipt of as an association.”

There are currently 26 to 28 salary scales in the teaching service but some teachers have expressed concern that the number could be reduced as the ministry of finance attempts its realignment.

“While it may be convenient for the Government, there are significant disadvantages to rolling out everything into basic salary,” said one source.