TTUTA wants talks with Garcia on contract workers

TT Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) president Lynsley Doodhai yesterday said there is no guarantee that TTUTA will meet with Education Minister Anthony Garcia to discuss issues affecting contract workers at the Student Support Services Division (SSSD) and ICT technicians before year-end.

In a brief interview, Doodhai said he called the minister recently but was put on to the permanent secretary (PS) to arrange the meeting.

“When I called, I was told she would look into it but there was no guarantee the meeting can take place this year. There is no certainly what is happening with these workers. While we are reaching out to the PS, we are not getting any information on how these issues will be resolved.

“We keep getting, ‘A note has to be taken to Cabinet.’ It has been more than two years we have been getting the same answer and nothing new to ease the suffering of these workers.”

He said workers at SSSD and ICT technicians have been on month-to-month contracts for almost two years, and now the contracts has stopped, some of the SSSD workers are at home.

“The ICT technicians and the school social workers are also on a month-to-month contract and are faced with the same issue.”

In a release, TTUTA said it was highly disturbed by and condemns the level of “inhumane treatment” being meted out by the minister against the SSSD and ICT technicians, both valuable sources of support to teachers and students at schools.

TTUTA said the SSSD, comprising social workers, special educators, guidance officers and student aides, provided critical support and assistance through counselling and interventions aimed at mitigating social problems and learning disabilities to all schools.

Newsday tried to contact the minister on several occasions, but all calls to his cell phone went unanswered.