Labour Minister: No plans to increase OJT stipends

MINISTER of Labour Stephen McClashie has said the government is not considering making changes to the stipends of On-The-Job Training Programme (OJT) trainees "at this time."

He was responding to a questions during a standing financial committee meeting in Parliament on Wednesday.

He said there are approximately 4,000 trainees in the programme.

Princes Town MP Barry Padarath asked if the stipends for trainees would be adjusted owing to the rising cost of living.

McClashie said, "No, we are not at this time looking at changing the stipends ."

The estimate of the recurring expenditure for salaries and cost of living allowances for those employed under the OJT – not the trainees – for fiscal year 2023 is $1,200,000.

In 2022, the revised estimate was $900,000.

The $300,000 increase, McClashie said, "is to provide payment of salaries and cost-of-living allowances for substantive holders in the post.

"It has leave relief also and payment of arrears of acting allowance and increments for 30 officers under the OJT."

Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh then asked the reason for some trainees getting their salaries late more than once.

"Is it because of vacant positions in the accounts department of the OJT?" he asked.

McClashie said it was not related to vacancies per se, but had to do with "us recognising that the way we pay administratively, we had to make some changes to ensure robustness of the system."