TTUTA maintains call for rest, reflection on Monday

ANTONIA de Freitas, president of the TT Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA), has maintained the union’s call for teachers to stay home on Monday, the first day of the new school year, and to reflect on the State’s treatment of the profession.

The TTUTA was officially offered a four per cent increase in salaries, across the board, similar to other trade unions. On Friday morning, the TUTTA's general council rejected the offer in a letter to the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO).

De Freitas, speaking with Newsday by phone on Friday evening, said, “We did, however, express a willingness to continue discussions should the CPO present something more acceptable.”

Additionally, she said the offer was not made properly, since the TTUTA “does not negotiate by percentages.

“So, that is a breach of the agreed upon procedure and, therefore, is not negotiated in good faith because they cannot simply change the agreed-upon procedure because you feel like it, which is what the State has done.”

Instead, she stressed, the TTUTA negotiates using a labour market survey approach.

“If you are an HR manager, for example, and you have particular knowledge requirements to fill and particular job functions, and I am a principal of a primary school, and my functions and knowledge criteria are very similar, you are getting $200 but I am getting $50, there is a gap (between us). So we want what will bring us as close as possible to the $200 earnings, so we will be on par with what the market says we should be paid.”

De Freitas said there are other factors affecting the teachers and students – such as physical infrastructure – that should be clearly distinguished from the negotiations.

“But we do have a number of schools that have submitted a request for repairs even prior to the return (of students) in April, and the ministry indicated two weeks ago that they had only just received the release of funds to do repair works.”

She said there are still many instances of ceiling tiles falling and scaffolding remaining erect, and notably flooding and electrical failures in South Trinidad, as a result of Friday’s heavy rain.

“The reality is, even if there was a rush to complete the works over the weekend, the work might still not be of the standard for students to safely occupy the premises and that’s our major concern right now,” she said.

TTUTA Tobago representative Bradon Roberts on Thursday expressed similar concerns about last-minute repairs being done on at least two schools on the island.

Ultimately, de Freitas said, “it is time for the State to acknowledge that they have a responsibility to provide quality public education and to deal appropriately with the stakeholders, inclusive of the education professionals.”

Newsday tried unsuccessfully to reach Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly for her reaction on Friday.

On Monday, the minister told reporters: “TTUTA will have to do what they believe to be best… (We know) that our teachers will do what is best for children as is always the case and that has nothing to do with TTUTA and their call and their agenda.”