Teachers want more maternity leave

[Lazie]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=Subheadline>Teachers often return to work two months after giving birth - JTA </SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>BY INGRID BROWN Observer staff reporter
Thursday, August 31, 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>THE teachers' union is pushing for four months paid maternity leave for its members, and has given the Government until 9:59 am today to reconsider its 'outright' rejection of this and other proposals submitted on behalf of the island's approximately 20,000 teachers.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=130 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>HENRY... it is quite possible that the resulting action may cause discomfiture as it relates to the reopening of school </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>In fact, president of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) Hopeton Henry warned of an impending strike if a better offer is not placed on the table by the time the Action Committee meets at 10:00 this morning.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Henry told the Observer that he wants the Government to re-examine the maternity leave proposal before summarily dismissing it, and he has the backing of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU).<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Part of our claim was for the teachers to receive four months maternity leave with pay and this was outrightly rejected, and we believe this should not be so," Henry told the Observer.
Danny Roberts, vice-president of the JCTU, agreed, noting that this was one of the items to which the government should have paid closer attention.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"One of the things you ought not to do is flatly reject an offer, and I think that is less than a kind of dialectic approach to understanding the dynamics of changes," Roberts said.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=120 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>COKE-LLOYD... the wage bill would be higher as you have to replace those persons who are on maternity leave for a longer period </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>"Perhaps the government needs to appraise itself of what the real objectives are and why at the international level there is much support for maternity benefits," added Roberts, who is also vice-president of the National Workers Union (NWU).
According to the JTA president, because the wages paid to the island's teachers were so low, new mothers often sacrificed their health to return to the classroom two months after giving birth.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Jamaican women are entitled to three months maternity leave, but they only get paid for two.
But Jacqueline Coke-Lloyd, executive director of the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF), noted that employers would be faced with higher wage bills if they were to offer an extended maternity time.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"There would be certain implications, clearly," she said. "You would have a higher cost as the wage bill would be higher as you have to replace those persons who are on maternity leave for a longer period."<P class=StoryText align=justify>She was, however, in agreement that two months was early for the teachers to return to work after having their babies, even as she pointed out that the employer's ability to pay more has to be taken into consideration.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"The teachers are employed by government, so does the government have the ability to pay?" she asked. "Can taxpayers afford that? because clearly, it has to come from the coffer

[Lazie]

RE: Teachers want more maternity leave

Someone need to stand to these blasted teachers. Salary wise they have my support, but some of the benefits they're getting is simply a mugging.

Firstly, why are our teachers paid for 12 months when they don't work July and August? Why is it Jamaican teachers get vacation time of up to 5 months with pay? This is bull****. Now this?

The gov't (hope mi post nuh get deleted fi mention gov't) need to stand up to them. If dem guh pon strike fiyah all a dem. Put them on a 10 month contract, no pay fi July and August. They'll still be paid for all other holiday .. crismus and easter. Some companies give 6 weeks and dem getting 2 months and a bitch? Has to be a friggin joke.

[Princess]

RE: Teachers want more maternity leave

Lazie, spoken like a TRUE man with no kids!! LOLOL!!

1) Ask OJ how long women in Canada get with JOB SECURITY?

2) Ask your peeps in England how much time dem get WID pay AND JOB SECURITY?

3) With Disability (!) and FMLA and in some companies Salary continuation see how much time you sistren dem get here in the good ol' USA?

4) Teachers in Ja don't even get 50% of what their counterparts get here.

5) Divide what them get by 12 months and you REALLY see what them get a month!

You suprise me... or u jus' being sarcastic...?!

[Lazie]

RE: Teachers want more maternity leave

Princess, I don't need kids to keep it real. I stated I supported them on the salary issue, its the 4 months they asking for, the 5 month vacation they get with pay and getting paid for july and August I don't agree with.

I don't care what Canada and England duh .... dem can afford it ... we cannot.

[Sickko]

RE: Teachers want more maternity leave

Lazie, advise yourself man. Teachers dont just pack up and leave school work when school give holidays and then go back to the class room when school start next term. There is a lot of work that is done during the holidays, especially right after and just before.

Why should professional football players get a check every week 52 weeks a year, even when they are on vacation and not even thinking about football much less keeping in shape?

As some one who intends to marry some one who will return to the Jamaican class room sooner than later I have to keep an eye on what is going on.

You would be surprised at what our teachers put up with as compared to what their counterparts make in other countries. How many teachers here can buy two houses from their salaries? You would be surprised how teachers in say England and Canada live.

[Princess]

RE: Teachers want more maternity leave

So our teachers DON'T deserve it? okaaaay... sah...

[Lazie]

RE: Teachers want more maternity leave

Princess, why you always have to bring emotions into this? Yuh nuh understand the state of the countries financial affairs? WE CANNOT AFFORD IT!!!


Sickko, I know teachers that fly out 2 days after school ends and go back the Saturday before school opens. Nuh worry, mi like how yuh put it ... mi must advise miself ... laughable. I'm used to being the odd one out ... and mi still say teachers must be given a 10 month contract, cut out the vacation thing, dem get all the holidays already and figet about the 4 months maternity leave. Time yaad start doing things within it's means.

[Jawge]

RE: Teachers want more maternity leave

princess dis one kind of tough. Yuh nuh notice say dem set up dem peeple fi tess Nanny P?

Di women teachers here get FOUR months with pay? Now what if some are going to deliver near summer? Dem gone fi six months. No they call for four but they are really looking for two.

Has to be. Got to run lata.

[Peter R]

RE: Teachers want more maternity leave

What is wrong with four months maternity/parental leave? One year should be a minimum... and people complain that other people nah look afta dem children...

And to say that people being paid to NOT work is bogus... all that is done is that a teacher's salary is divided by twelve so that they have steady income.

Having said that any teacher who does not spend an equal amount of time outside of the classroom on their job is not really doing what they're paid for. That I can understand being criticised.

And in many jusridictions, can't speak for JA, teachers are expected to do extra-curricular activity, whether coaching , running a club etc that many folks do not understand how time consuming it can be.

I think many people vex just cause their own profession doesn't have the long holiday breaks that teaching does and use this as justification for criticising the pedagogues at the pre-university/college level.Anybody criticise university profs/lecturers who get a four months break, then tek a one yearsabbatical every six years?

pr

[Lazie]

RE: Teachers want more maternity leave

Peter R ... there is no way you can be serious. 1 year the minumum? Unuh seem to think money grow pon tree. When a teacher get 1 year maternity leave yuh realise that someone has to fill in ... thats 2 salaries. Why is it unuh always guh off a emotions?

Where you get it that university professors get paid for the year? I will check that and get back to you. There are places that gives 6 weeks and the women are able to look afterthem kids. There are school districts that don't give maternity leave with pay, the women have to use their sick days in order to get paid.. maximum 40 days ( not saying we should adopt that), but 4 months is too much.

Next time, tek yuh emotions out of it .. before stepping to Lazie.

[Peter R]

RE: Teachers want more maternity leave

Lazie,

I wrote you an extended response and I got an error message when I tried to post it. Briefly I do no advocate a years leave with full pay but what I do advocate is at least a guarantee of ones job and benefits after a year.

I enviseage a mix of saythree months with full pay and then additional months with a reduced income or none for that matter if the parent chooses to go for it.

Remember that two incomes are not being paid as the replacement would not likely have benefits etc and would be a daily paid sub.

I'll try and redo my full post later..

pr

[Lazie]

RE: Teachers want more maternity leave

Peter R, Professors don't get paid in the summer, unless they are teaching summer courses. Teachers do not get paid in the summer unless dem duh summer pay or teach summer school.

Mi tell unuh all the while, the real world operate different from the land of fantasy.

[Sickko]

RE: Teachers want more maternity leave

And me ask you yesterday and you pull a Jawge and run away from the question dont professional football players get paid all when them injured and cant play and in the off-season?



I hope you not seriously arguing about the amount of money they take home as that is pitiful

[Lazie]

RE: Teachers want more maternity leave

Mi did tink a joke yuh a mek. Professional footballers get paid out a taxpayers' monies? Thats a completely different situation bredren.

[Assasin]

RE: Teachers want more maternity leave

Lazie my wife work with a big company and she get 3 months paid vacation. So 4 months in my opinion could be resonable. When my wife have baby even mi want 3 months to rahtid.

Teachers normally get paid for the school year, if they do extra in the summer and winter them get paid differently. As a man who in the education enivornment mi think you know that. When you see the teacher in the summer a additional money them a Kollect a nuh the regular payroll.