Teachers stay off job in support of penalised colleague

Teachers at the Marcus Garvey Technical High School have refused to resume their duties and have been sitting-in to show solidarity with a staff member, after money was deducted from her salary for being absent from work for the period September 3 to 18.

The protest which started on the afternoon period will continue into tomorrow.

Principal of Marcus Garvey Technical, Leslie Riley told The Gleaner that the teacher in question did not assume her responsibility at the school and she did not state the reason for her absence within the specified time.

Riley said the teacher was asked to assume new teaching duties at the Mansfield campus, in Ocho Rios, to teach grade 7 and 8 students but she refused and said it will cost her additional money to go there.

After she had refused to assume her duties at the campus, he had instructed the bursar to deduct the money from her salary for the period September 3 to 18.

He further stated that the teacher claimed she was under the directives of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association.

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

In addition, the principal said he is refusing to meet with the JTA because of the conflict of interest, which resulted in the association siding with the teacher for shunning her responsibility.

When The Gleaner tried to contact Secretary General for the JTA, Dr. Adolph Cameron he was said to be on a call.

Meanwhile, Riley said he is preparing a report for the board of management on the matter.

editorial@gleanerjm.com