PARITY AT THE TERTIARY LEVEL INSTITUTIONS -
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

1973 - THE ORIGIN OF THE PARITY ISSUE

The issue of parity at the tertiary dates back to the 1973 reclassification of the teaching service. The exercise established:

i) parity of pay for all Assistant Lecturers, Lecturers, Senior Lecturers and Principal Lecturers irrespective of the particular college in which they were employed. However, while the position of Assistant was retained at CAST and JSA, it was not included in the establishment at Teachers' Colleges since the exercise found 85% of College staff to have satisfied the criteria for degree and professional training compared with the other institutions;

i) In terms of payments of principals and vice principals on the basis of size and complexity of the various colleges, the following categories of tertiary institutions were recognized:

CAST - Class A
Mico and Shortwood - Class B
Other Teachers' Colleges and JSA - Class C

In 1979, the Association accepted salary increases for teachers in tertiary level institutions with the explicit understanding that if the government agreed to higher increases to any other Institution in the sector, those higher salaries should also apply to the institutions represented by the Association. The government accepted this conditionality.

Negotiations between the Staff Associations of both the Jamaica School of Agriculture and the College of Arts Science and Technology and the government resulted in salaries greater than those agreed upon between the government and the Association on behalf of the membership in the other tertiary level institutions (i.e. Teacher Training Colleges).

In December 1999, subsequent on the failure of the IMF test, the government decided it would not be able to meet the higher levels of increases agreed in its wage settlement with both CAST and JSA. It would only be able to pay the lower levels of salaries agreed previously with the Association.

The declaration by the government prompted the lecturers in CAST and JSA to resort to industrial action whereupon the government contacted the leadership of the Association seeking a waiver on the conditionality of parity. The Association promptly rejected this and sternly advised the government to abide by the terms and conditions of the agreement.

The matter was thus referred to the Industrial Disputes Tribunal for a settlement. The Jamaica Association of Teacher Educators raised objections to the composition of the Tribunal and the Terms of Reference. The Tribunal was not asked to determine whether the government was able to pay the higher agreed increases which constituted the actual point of the dispute. Rather, the tribunal was requested to determine whether there are differentials in salaries between the tertiary institutions and whether there are justifications for such differentials. The Association was of the view that the terms of reference were beyond the competence of the Industrial Disputes Tribunal.

At the tribunal hearing, the representatives of the JSA and CAST argued that differentials should exists between them and the teacher training colleges since those institutions were superior to the latter on the following bases:

i) that the 3 year intra-mural programme offered by JSA and CAST was superior to the 2 year intramural course, plus one year's internship; and

i) that while a case could be made for the secondary programme at the Teachers' Colleges for which the matriculation requirement was four (4) 'O' levels including English, it was difficult to advance one for the primary programme for which the matriculation requirement was five (5) JSC subjects inclusive of English and Mathematics.

i) that the graduates of CAST and JSA who entered the teaching profession were remunerated at a higher starting level than the graduates of Teacher Training Colleges.

The Tribunal awarded additional increments to the teaching positions at CAST and JSA and further recommended that different salary scales be established.

The lecturers at the Teacher Training Colleges, led by the Jamaican Association of Teacher Educators and the Jamaica Teachers' Association, took strike action insisting on parity of pay between the lecturers of both sets of institutions.

The government reaffirmed its adherence to the principle of parity and consequently awarded the additional increment recommended by the Tribunal for the lecturers of CAST and JSA to the lecturers of the Teachers' Colleges.

In January 1980 the Association met with Minister of Education, Hugh Small, concerning a three year intramural programme at the Teacher Training Colleges. No decision was taken. Subsequent to the election of the Jamaica Labour Party, the Minister of Education, Dr. Mavis Gilmour, in her address to the conference of the Jamaica Association of Teacher Educators in December, reaffirmed her government's commitment to the principle of parity.

In January 1981, the principals of the eight Teachers' Colleges approached the Minister with a proposal for the colleges to revert to a three-year intramural programme and for their graduates to be paid in the same scale as those of CAST and JSA. In March, the Minister accepted the proposal and established a task force to work out the new policy framework, with Ms. Marjorie Myers, Principal of Shortwood Teachers' College as its convenor.

In April, Dr. Errol Miller was elected Chairman of the Task force. The Force now comprised representatives of:

i) the Ministry of Education
ii) the Jamaica Teachers' Association
iii) School of Education
iv) Joint Board of Teacher Education
v) the Tertiary institutions

A sub-committee was then selected to confer with the Minister of Education on the essential elements of the proposed new policy. This committee comprised:

i) college principals
ii) chairman of the JBTE
iii) chairman of the Task Force

The suggested policy proposals were submitted to the Minister in writing. After full discussion agreement followed on all elements, including the issue of pay. The Minister gave approval for formal announcement to be made.

A meeting of all lecturers of all colleges was convened at the Mico on June 1, 1981 where the new policy was announced and explained. At a meeting of the Joint Board of Teacher Education on July 31, both the Minister and the Chairman were in attendance by invitation.

The period July/August 1981, the Minister established a Task Force Secretariat in the Ministry of Education with offices in the Planning Unit to plan the implementation for September 1981. The Secretariat consisted of:

i) Mr. Eric Downie, Mico
ii) Mrs. J. Grant-Carter, St. Joseph's
iii) Mr. Herbert Brown, Church
iv) Dr. Errol Miller, Co-ordinator
Secretarial services were provided by the Ministry.

The new policies were outlined to the JTA at their conference in August. The Association accepted the new policies but insisted on a strong undertaking that all teachers at the Certificate level would be given ample opportunity to upgrade to the Diploma level.

On September 22, 1981 in her contribution to the sectorial debate in the House of Representatives, the Minister reported the new policy on Teacher Education and announced that teachers in the field would be given the opportunity to upgrade to the new Diploma level beginning in September 1983.
The critical elements of the new programme were:

i) introduction of a preliminary year for entrants without the minimum entry requirement
ii) new entry standards
iii) new level of graduation (i.e. diploma)
iv) new level of pay
v) opportunities for the upgrading of teachers with certificate to the diploma

In April and May, 1982 the Minister, accompanied by the Chairman of the Task Force, made visits to colleges explaining the new policy.

Only G.C. Foster College admitted teachers to pursue the Post Certificate Programme geared towards upgrading to full Diploma in September 1983.

In February 1984, documents relative to the pay for the new diploma teachers were submitted by Dr. Miller to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education but in March a new development threatened to derail what was to date a smooth process

The Minister disclosed, in her regular monthly meeting with the JTA, that she had given no commitment that diploma graduates would be paid different salaries from certificate trained teachers. This position was reported to the Joint Board in its April meeting.

The principals of the colleges requested a meeting with the Minister at which the Chairman of the Joint Board was excluded at the behest of the Minister. In that meeting the principals produced documentary evidence of the Minister's commitment in respect of the new diploma pay. The meeting ended with the principals being requested to advise their students of the no change in salaries from Certificate teachers. The students requested a meeting with the Minister agreed that she had consented to the new diploma pay without realizing that it would require a reclassification of the entire Civil Service.

The matter was referred to the Prime Minister, Honourable Edward Seaga, on July 31, 1984 during which Dr. Miller highlighted the inconsistencies of the Minister's statements and actions in 1981, 1982 and 1983 against those of 1984. The discussions ended with the Prime Minister re-stating the government's commitment to the principle of parity - that equal qualification should receive equal pay and accepted that it was a matter of justice. However, due to the financial strictures at the time, he recommended that a Task Force should report by March 3, 1985 with the understanding that its recommendations would be retroactive to September 1, 1984. This task force comprised the following:

i) Dr. LHE Reid, Chairman
ii) Dr. Alfred Sangster, Principal, CAST
iii) Dr. Edgar Thomas, Dean, College of Agriculture
iv) Dr. Ethley London, Ministry of Education

Representatives from:

a) Jamaica Teachers' Association
b) JBTE
c) UWI
d) Ministry of the Public Service
e) Miss Pam Morris, Secretary, Ministry of Education

The matter of equal remuneration for graduates of the Colleges holding a Diploma was finally resolved and the Heads of Agreement for the contract period April 1, 1985 to March 31, 1987. Item number (2) (e) addressing the basic salary of Trained Teacher (Diploma) should "... start at the minimum of the Graduate pre-trained scale and end at the 10th point of that scale.

Item 13 of the said Agreement spoke to the issue of parity, asserting that the Ministry of the Public Service "...reports the principle of parity in salary where parity exists, and indicating that the issue is subject to further discussion. The issue was far from resolution however.

Correspondence dated June 2, 1987 over the signature of E. G. Marshalleck, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of the Public Service and directed to the Secretary General of the Association, Mr. Woodburn Miller, confirmed the agreements reached during a meeting of May 12, 1987 between the Association and the Ministries of Education and the Public Service. The agreements:

i) reaffirmed the principle of parity in basic pay at the tertiary level where teaching positions are comparable in terms of similar qualifications, experience and responsibility;

Accordingly therefore, it was agreed that such salaries and allowances which have been accorded teaching positions at CAST should have been accorded comparable positions in Teachers' Colleges. Thus:

a) effective April 1, 1986 the responsibility remuneration for Head of Department 1/Principal lecturer was adjusted;

a) effective July 1, 1985 the transportation allowance paid to lecturers who supervise practicum was extended to college lecturers, inclusive of mileage;

a) that effective July 1, 1985 commuted travelling would extend to Heads of Department II and I (Principal Lecturers II and I) at the colleges.

a) effective July 1, 1985 a payment of 5% of minimum of the lecturer's scale (or approximately two (2) increments would be paid to lecturers who either underfill (sic) vacancies for senior lecturers or co-ordinate subject areas where a post of senior lecturer is not provided. This was to be extended to similar situations in Teachers' Colleges.

i) Consequent upon the adjustment to the salary of Principal Lecturer; the salaries of principals in Class A, B, and C as well as those of vice Principals were to be adjusted. Adjustments were also made to the salary of the Director of EXED.

i) In addition, the agreement was reached on the following:
a) re-introduction of the position of Assistant Lecturer in tertiary institutions

a) a qualification bar based on agreed criteria to be re-introduced for the tertiary institutions

a) the basis for payment of a special skills premium to be examined by a panel of experts and a recommendation made for submission to Cabinet

a) common part-time rates to be developed and applied across universities on comparable criteria.

The issue of parity persisted in the agreement of 1998/1999. Item 14 addressed the matter of Community Colleges being structured on a basis similar to the Teachers' Colleges, that the pupil/teacher ratio to be determined in discussion with the JTA and that discussions will continue on the classification of all tertiary institutions.

The 1991 Heads of Agreement between the Association and the Ministries of the Public Service and Education was signed on November 27. This was a one-year agreement and witnessed an adjustment to the salary scales to all the posts at the tertiary level, including the Director or EXED.

The parity issue was only indirectly addressed in the 1992/94 agreement where there was an agreement for a reclassification of the teaching service promised for the fiscal year 1993/1994.

The reclassification was not done in the promised year and was the basis of a hard fought negotiation in the conference year 1993/94 during the incumbency of Sherlock Allen. The government undertook to implement the promised reclassification which was done and implemented in 1995. The reclassification did not address parity with CAST in the meaningful way and by then the issue was overtaken by two important events, viz the establishment of the College of Agriculture, Science and Education and the creation of the University of Technology of the former CAST.

Arising from a report on the Restructuring of the Tertiary Sector by Sir Philip Sherlock, the government proceeded to elevate CAST to a full university and created a specialist institution out of the two (2) former institution - Passley Gardens Teachers' College and College of Agriculture, Portland.

The creation of U-Tech now removed CAST as a reference point, the Jamaica School of Agriculture having been dissolved in 1986. The new institution CASE had its status determine in an Act passed by Parliament in 1995. From the very beginning its management structure differed from those of existing tertiary level institution and was accorded special status in salaries paid to its manager, administrators and lecturers.

Accordingly, the focus shifted from CAST to CASE and the issue of parity focused on that institution.

Item 9.2 (a) of the 1996/98 Heads of Agreement extended travelling officer status Lecturers of Community Colleges who supervise students on work experience assignments.

Item no. 2 on the 2000/2002 Heads of Agreement between the Association and the Ministries of Finance and Planning and Education, Youth and Culture which was signed on June 11, 2001 carried the caption - Outstanding Items.

i) Parity in Tertiary Institutions
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture and the JTA have arrived at an agreement in respect of the classification of tertiary institutions.

A pay plan is to be developed for tertiary level (non-university) institutions effective June 1, 2001.

This item marked the elimination of a journey which had taken nearly a quarter of a century to complete. This agreement reached issues from the salary claims of 1998/2000. Item 2 (iii) stated:
"The matter of parity will be considered within the (context of the review of the tertiary level institutions (non-university) including Teachers' Colleges. Discussion has already commenced with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture and the Ministry of Finance and Planning on the matter of reclassification of tertiary level institutions.

Consultation with the JTA will inform the process. At the end of the discussion, a document will be prepared which will be submitted to the Ministry of Finance and Planning."

This document was finally agreed on by all parties and using a new set of criteria, all sub-university colleges were reclassified into categories A, B or C.

Having achieved this undertaking from the 1998/2000 agreement, it was left to the 2000/2002 Agreement to work out the pay plan.

However, several meetings were to follow between the Association and the Ministry of Finance and Planning before a mutually agreeable date for payment of the adjusted salaries.

Education and Research Committee
January 23, 2002