Teachers get back pay

TEACHERS began receiving back pay on Thursday, ranging from $2,500 to $6,000, ending off a  year in which they fought for better salaries on a high note. The back pay was as a result of the new collective agreement signed between the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) and the Chief Personnel Officer in August last year. It was agreed then that teachers would receive a one percent increase on their consolidated salaries (basic salary plus COLA) for the period October 2002 to September 2003, and a two percent for the period October 2003 to December 2004.

At the end of this month, the new salaries are supposed to take effect. That is, teachers in grades three and four, are supposed to receive between 86 to 89 percent of the market salaries comparable to persons in similar positions and qualifications in the private and public sector. President of TTUTA, Clyde Permell told Newsday yesterday, the union will ensure the Ministry of Education pays the new salaries. The agreement expires in September this year. He said since assuming office at the end of last year, the Ministry had lived up to its agreements with teachers. However, the payment of owed increments for the period 1987 to 1995 is still outstanding to several teachers. Permell said it will be a priority for the union this year, as “we have sent three listings to them. “They have had it for the last three weeks and we had no responses.”

He said the union planned to “take decisive courses of action to ensure teachers who have not been paid are paid one way or the other.” Other issues the union will focus on include security at the nation’s schools. Permell said the ultimate objective is to have security at every school throughout the country, and to ensure the entire system of teaching training in the country is reviewed. He said the focus will be on getting the Teachers’ Colleges and the curriculum upgraded, having the Colleges’ opened 24 hours; to move from a two to a three year associate degree programme; to have pre-service training and to have teachers leaving the University of the West Indies pursue a year of studies before entering the classroom. Another issue will be to submit proposals so that negotiations can start on the new collective agreement.