Education Minister Ronald Thwaites says he expects the ministry’s regional office to intervene in a dispute between teachers at the Marcus Garvey Technical High School and administrators.

Teachers yesterday staged a sit-in to protest the decision of the school’s Principal Leslie Riley to dock the pay of one of their colleagues, who was absent from work from September 3 to 18.

The upset teachers have vowed to continue their action until the situation is addressed.

Contacted last night, the education minister expressed surprise at the action of the teachers.

The principal, Leslie Riley told our news centre the teacher in question did not state the reason for her absence within the specified time.

He said as a result he instructed the bursar to deduct the money from her salary for the period.

Leslie explained that the teacher was asked to assume new teaching duties at the Mansfield campus, in Ocho Rios, but she refused saying it would cost her additional money to go there.

He further stated that the teacher claimed she stayed away based on a directive from the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA).

Riley said the JTA, which represents both principals and teachers wrote to him stating that the teacher would not return to the Ocho Rios campus to assume duties.

In addition, the principal is refusing to meet with the JTA because of what he says is a conflict of interest, which resulted in the association siding with the teacher.

Efforts to contact the JTA president or its Secretary General last night were unsuccessful.

radio@gleanerjm.com