TTUTA plans mass rally if salaries not updated

TT Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) president Crystal Ashe said a mass rally is being planned as the union has received no update from the Chief Personnel Officer or anyone from the Finance Ministry about the status of revised salaries for teachers.

On January 8, Ashe claimed no instructions have been given to the Education Ministry's Finance Department to calculate and implement these new salaries, and the Cabinet Note that would ultimately approve the payment was not accepted.

TTUTA, under former president Martin Lum Kin, accepted a five per cent salary increase for 2020-2023, ten days before the April 28 general election.

Speaking to Newsday on January 13, Ashe said the union was still hopeful.

“Today is actually the close of paysheets for the month. They have a day they normally do all their calculations and today is that day. We would have reached an uncomfortable position at this point in time. We are still awaiting, we are still hoping that good sense will prevail and the Minister of Finance will do what was promised.

“Although, while I didn’t hear him say it, but I read somewhere that he said he is unaware of any money to come to us because he didn’t make any such promise or arrangement.”

Ashe said TTUTA will be taking multiple steps to address the issue if it isn’t rectified.

“We started wearing red from yesterday. We want to show that level of solidarity among teachers. We have written and will continue writing multiple letters.

“We will seek permission from the Commissioner of Police when we intend to do a mass rally. That is not a protest and we will seek our necessary permissions. We don’t have a date yet but it is coming.”

Ashe said the teachers continue to work hard on their old salaries.

“They are dedicated to the children of TT, even in light of all of the developments. So they’re still out there and every day from now until such time as our salaries reflect the new one, we will continue wearing red and the union will continue to do what it has to do in the background in terms of writing and communicating with the powers that be.”