NCTVET and VTDI staff strike over wage issues

 

Some employees at the National Council on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NCTVET) and Vocational Training Development Institute (VTDI) on Gordon Town Road in St. Andrew are on strike.

 

The employees, with placards in hand, walked off the job on Thursday morning in a protest concerning pay and contract issues.

 

They are calling for the Ministry of Education to meet with them.

 

Earl Samuels, National Workers Union delegate for NCTVET, said the transitioning of the agency from the HEART NSTA/Trust has left the workers in limbo. 

 

"For the past three years we have been transitioning. As a result of this, our contract workers cannot get longer than three-month contracts. You cannot carry a three-month contract to the bank to get a mortgage or a car loan. Similarly, persons can't even travel overseas in some instances because the embassy does not like to see short term contract letters. At the same time, HEART has approved a new salary package for their workers, persons on their structure, but we are still being paid the old salary and still carrying out HEART Trust’s mandate to train and certify persons," he outlined. 

 

Mr. Samuels said some employees have been on contract for more than 10 years without benefits.

 

Carolyn O'Connor, the Jamaica Teachers' Association delegate for VTDI, said employees at that entity are facing similar challenges.

 

Ms. O'Connor said the failure of the Ministry of Education to address the contract issues and finalise the transition of the institution has made it difficult for the management to attract new employees.

 

Attempts have been made to reach a settlement, she noted, pointing to a 13-point document with the teachers' requests. But of that document, she said they were only able to get answers about two points.

 

The delegates say the protest will continue if there is no response from the Education Ministry.