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A major showdown is looming between the Ministry of Education and school bursars across the island.
Education Minister Fayval Williams has sparked a firestorm after she announced on Wednesday that the ministry plans to move away from teachers being paid by bursars and have educators receive their salaries directly from the ministry.
There are numerous bursar-paid institutions across Jamaica.
Mrs Williams was responding to the issue of timely payments of deductions for teachers while addressing delegates on the third and final day of the Jamaica Teachers' Association's annual conference in Montego Bay, St. James.
Although she did not give a timeline for the change, Mrs Williams said the move would help to alleviate the issue of late or missed salary payments, which some teachers often experience.
But this has not gone down well with the National Workers Union (NWU), which represents bursars.
NWU General Secretary Granville Valentine told Radio Jamaica News that the announcement by the minister is a devastating blow to his members.
He said the more than 400 bursars were caught off guard by the announcement, as neither the group, their union nor school principals were told in advance.
The bursars are now uncertain of their status and future.
Furious with the development, Mr. Valentine argued that it is "gross disrespect and very unfortunate" for workers to be treated in such a manner.
He contended that bursars are being unfairly targeted by the ministry for the issues affecting the education sector, including teacher migration and late payments to some teachers.
Most teachers receive their salaries on time at bursar-paid schools, he asserted, arguing that it was in fact the ministry-paid institutions that were usually late by "two-three months" in delivering teachers' pay.
Mr. Valentine said the ministry cannot continue with this approach to its staff.
He warned that the situation could lead to "serious unrest" and called for Prime Minister Andrew Holness "to intervene because this one will not go down easily".
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