TTUTA at 38

In this and the following issue of TTUTA on Tuesdays we pause and take a look back on our history as we reflect on the journey to get here as told by the president during his address.

In 1978, teachers were represented by four unions: the Public Services Association (PSA), the Tobago Unified Teachers Association, the Trinidad and Tobago Teachers’ Union, and the Secondary School Teachers Association, which represented teachers in the so-called “prestige” schools in the country. The three Trinidad unions were all recognised by the Education Act No 1 of 1966 as the representative unions for teachers.

Teacher dissatisfaction with representation by the three Trinidad unions had grown in the 1970s. There was the view that adversarial relations between the three units had severely hampered industrial relations in the Teaching Service. As early as 1966 there was a struggle between two of the three unions to be the sole representative for any class or classes of teachers.

The Special Tribunal No 10 of 1974, which stated that any one of the three unions could represent any class or classes of teachers, decided this issue.

This resulted in rapid changes of membership among teachers.

However, not one of these unions emerged as the majority union.

The representation of teachers by four unions had several serious consequences. Any issue raised by one union with the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) had to be discussed with each union separately. This resulted in the presentation of conflicting arguments to the CPO by the different unions, a situation which was disadvantageous to teachers.

Additionally, negotiations were often lengthy with a consequently longer period for settlement.

The relationship between the three unions was thus described as one involving a great deal of “inter-union rivalry and fragmentation” which was seen as “the biggest disadvantage when negotiating a collective agreement.” Frank B Seepersad, the first general secretary of TTUTA, noted that fragmentation of the unions had caused them to pay little attention to advancing the cause of teacher professionalism.

The unions were paying little attention to issues, for example in-service training for teachers and refresher courses. Also, the unions were not pressing for much needed changes to the syllabuses of both the primary and secondary schools.

This failure to adequately address teachers’ issues resulted in irrational promotions and transfers, non-recognition of extra qualifications, and the absence of a clear policy on study leave, staff shortages and late staffing.

Seepersad observed that the unions were using teachers as “pawns in a power play” and not seriously addressing those issues which were vital to teachers’ professional development and to education.

In 1971, the problems over negotiations continued with the PSA refusing to sit in joint negotiations with what it described as “minority unions.” As a result, the salaries issue was referred to the Special Tribunal and teachers had to wait almost nine years for a settlement of this issue.

In 1974, the Special Tribunal called for joint negotiations through a joint negotiations committee but again the PSA refused to join in the process.

There was an additional problem in that, in 1971, the PSA, which usually went in first in negotiations, signed a four-year contract contrary to the usual procedure of three-year contracts.

This contributed to an exodus of teachers from the PSA.

* To be continued next week