Wage Disputes and Industrial Actions
2022 - 2023
This is a timeline of events and articles surrounding the public sector wage disputes and industrial actions in Jamaica during 2022 and 2023.
Last updated at 11:50PM on October 1, 2024.
2022
Mar 25: Teachers upset over unpaid salaries, threaten industrial action (The Gleaner)
Mar 29: Teachers livid over monies owed, says JTA (Jamaica Teachers’ Association) (Jamaica Observer)
May 4: Pay cut jitters (The Gleaner)
May 7: JTA head again blasts Gov’t over low wages (Jamaica Observer)
May 9: WATCH: Nurse brain-drain a ‘bleeding wound’, says NAJ (Nurses Association of Jamaica) president (Jamaica Observer)
May 10: ‘Enough is enough’ - Over 2,000 NWC (National Water Commission) workers go on strike (Jamaica Observer)
May 11: Government Meeting with NWC To End Strike (JIS)
May 11: NWC strike over, six months given for issues to be resolved - agreement (The Gleaner)
May 12: Union: NWC got strike notice (The Gleaner)
May 12: NWC wage talks continue despite agreement (Jamaica Observer)
May 12: Dozens of Flights Cancelled as Jamaica Air Traffic Controllers Strike (Caribbean National Weekly)
Jun 7: JTA again bashes Gov’t compensation review (Jamaica Observer)
Jul 13: Clarke holds cards to chest as unions demand hefty hikes (The Gleaner)
Aug 17: More teachers to go (Jamaica Observer)
Sep 13: Bus strike causes chaos in St Andrew West Rural (The Gleaner)
Oct 27: Teachers upset over delay in salaries (Jamaica Observer)
Nov 10: JCTU (Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions) split on public sector compensation review (The Gleaner)
Nov 13: Taxi & Bus Operators Vote to Go on All-Island Strike Starting Monday Morning (Nationwide News)
Nov 13: Taxi operators vote to strike on Monday (The Gleaner)
Nov 14: JUTC (Jamaica Urban Transit Company) warns of delays amid bus, taxi strike (Loop News)
Nov 14: Scores of commuters left stranded as taxi operators pull service (Loop News)
Nov 15: No support for taxi strike in south-central Jamaica (Jamaica Observer)
Nov 16: Cabbies break strike, mull ticket payment plan (The Gleaner)
Nov 16: Jamaican taxi and bus operators back on the road after strike (Caribbean National Weekly)
Nov 17: Warmington hits out against PPV operators who protested for ticket amnesty (The Gleaner)
Nov 18: 14 unions ink wage deal (The Gleaner)
Nov 21: Public wage increase not expected to ‘terribly increase’ inflation (Loop News)
Nov 22: Finance ministry, unions reach agreement on public sector compensation system (The Gleaner)
Dec 1: Transport operators plan second strike (RJR)
Dec 1: TODSS (Transport Operator Development Sustainable Services) says it's not part of planned taxi protest (Jamaica Observer)
Dec 2: JTA urges teachers to hold strain as wage talks drag on (The Gleaner)
Dec 5: Wage negotiations ongoing for teachers, JTA tells members (Jamaica Observer)
Dec 21: Payment review glitches, other salary issues hit many Gov't workers (Loop News)
Dec 22: Nurses in the southern region to be paid by Friday - Chen (The Gleaner)
2023
Jan 6: JTA and finance ministry to resume compensation talks Tuesday (The Gleaner)
Jan 9: Give us an amnesty or else, TODDS head warns Government (Jamaica Observer)
Jan 12: JTA awaiting finance ministry update on new wage structure (Jamaica Observer)
Jan 12: Taxi operators to decide today how they will treat issue of outstanding traffic tickets;legal challenge being considered (IrieFM)
Jan 31: TODSS to sit out planned demonstration by transport operators (Loop News)
Feb 2: Teachers meet Friday to decide on Gov't's new compensation package (Jamaica Observer)
Feb 3: Teachers reject the Government's wage offer (The Gleaner)
Feb 6: Taxi Strike Threat (The Gleaner)
Feb 6: WATCH: I am no PNP operative, says taxi boss (Jamaica Observer)
Feb 6: Little impact of taxi strike called in St Ann, St Mary (North Coast Times)
Feb 6: Northeast Manchester taxi operators join strike (Jamaica Observer)
Feb 7: WATCH: Day two of taxi strike hits Mandeville (Jamaica Observer)
Feb 7: Westmoreland taxi drivers adopt wait-and-see approach (The Gleaner)
Feb 8: Cabbies in St Ann strike for a third day (The Gleaner)
Feb 23: Gov't's salary review: Some workers happy, some not; who have signed? (Loop News)
Feb 28: Police, teacher unions press for more pay despite March 30 deadline (The Gleaner)
Mar 7: Teachers on edge (Jamaica Observer)
Mar 8: What teachers have rejected from the gov't (The Gleaner)
Mar 9: JTA wants protesting teachers to go back to work (The Gleaner)
Mar 13: BREAKTHROUGH (The Gleaner)
Mar 16: Educators line up behind JTA president (Jamaica Observer)
Mar 28: Teachers ‘cannot guarantee normalcy’ on Wednesday amid unpaid salaries (Jamaica Observer)
Mar 29: Over 1,500 nurses resigned from public health between 2019 and 2021 - AGD Report (The Gleaner)
Mar 30: JUTC drivers remain off the job (The Gleaner)
Mar 31: Two-day strike could cost JUTC almost $6 million (Jamaica Observer)
Apr 7: 'Only God can help us' (The Gleaner)
Apr 27: 'Disregard and disrespect' (Jamaica Observer)
May 17: Public sector workers restive over outstanding salary issues (The Gleaner)
May 25: JTA president calls for industrial strike action over compensation review (Jamaica Observer)
May 25: Ministry officials scramble to minimise fallout amid teachers' protest (RJR)
May 26: Continuation of teachers' strike action uncertain (RJR)
May 26: Teachers resume strike action (RJR)
Jun 19: Trelawny commuters stranded as taxi operators protest deplorable road condition (Jamaica Observer)
Jun 20: Taxi drivers strike over bad roads again (The Gleaner)
Jun 24: TODSS sets sights on 120 per cent fare increase (Jamaica Observer)
Jun 25: JCTU and Finance Ministry to discuss delayed payment of increments to public sector workers (RJR)
Jun 29: JTA president calls for schools to be transparent about teacher shortage (RJR)
Jul 8: NWC workers threaten strike action (Jamaica Observer)
Jul 12: Another meeting today to avert strike by NWC workers (RJR)
Jul 12: Meeting to avert strike by NWC workers still ongoing (RJR)
Jul 18: Unions, NWC sign agreement averting strike (The Gleaner)
Aug 22: Principals trying to cope with teacher shortage, says Harrison (Jamaica Observer)
Aug 22: New JTA president wants salary issues resolved by end of September (The Gleaner)
Aug 23: New JTA president wants national campaign to retain teachers (The Gleaner)
Aug 29: JTA urges teachers to give early notice of intention to resign (RJR)
Aug 30: Teachers struggling to be face of progress, says former JTA president (Jamaica Observer)
Aug 30: JTA doesn't support quota in recruitment of teachers for overseas (Jamaica Observer)
Sep 7: JTA boss wants review of school-funding mechanism (The Gleaner)
Sep 8: TODSS boss wants Gov’t to double bus, taxi fares (The Gleaner)
Sep 8: More teacher resignations to come this term – JTA president (The Gleaner)
Sep 9: JTA boss suggests MOU to train teachers for local and overseas markets (The Gleaner)
Sep 11: Teacher migration will be chronic in three years if not stopped, says JTA boss (The Gleaner)
Sep 11: Taxi protest forces early dismissal at Frome Technical High School (The Gleaner)
Sep 12: Cabbies continue protest over poor road conditions in Savanna-La-Mar (Jamaica Observer)
Sep 12: Public transportation disrupted as taxi operators protest in Westmoreland (The Gleaner)
Sep 18: JTA to lobby for increased health insurance coverage for teachers (RJR)
Oct 30: Dental surgeons take industrial action (RJR)
Nov 1: Government dental surgeons protest over wage negotiations (The Gleaner)