Final court order in THA, workers matter on June 30

On June 30, a final court order will be made in the Industrial Court hearing between Advocate Trade Union and the Tobago House of Assembly (THA).

Newsday obtained a copy of the court ruling delivered on April 30, which found the 13 THA terminations were harsh, oppressive and contrary to the principles and practices of good industrial relations.

According to the document, some of the 13 workers had been employed with the Assembly’s Community Partnership Unit (CPU) since 2009, but on March 31, 2022, they were all called into a meeting and handed dismissal letters.

The THA claimed the CPU was being shut down as part of a restructuring, but the court said it found no proof of any real restructuring – no policy papers, meeting minutes, or even an updated organisational chart.

The court said there was no serious attempt to consult or reassign the workers instead, it said the decision to fire the workers appeared rushed, harsh, and unsupported.

It also pointed out several contradictions in the THA’s defence. For instance, the dismissal letters said the CPU was “under review,” but in court, the THA claimed the unit had already been abolished. The court also noted that a key meeting mentioned in the letters never actually took place.

Additionally, the court ordered the assembly to compensate the workers for all outstanding vacation leave, pro-rated gratuity, and the full value of what was left on their contracts. The workers earned varying salaries based on their positions, with monthly pay ranging from $9,000 to over $17,000. Some had up to 33 months remaining on their contracts when they were terminated.

The document said that the union, which represented the group, has until May 29 to submit a breakdown of what each worker is owed.