TTUTA sends warning to UTT

THE UNIVERSITY of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) has been cautioned by the TT Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) to avoid direct contact with union members or face the consequence of an absolute boycott of all initiatives related to the UTT.

This was the position taken by TTUTA’s General Council in an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the decision of government to transfer Teachers’ Colleges and Technical Institutes to the jurisdiction of the University of TT.

In the well-attended meeting, the council strongly condemned government for the approach used to bring about transfers and described the move as “another attack on the trade union movement TTUTA in particular.”

The attack was further exemplified, TTUTA officials said, by a direct approach to teachers in an attempt to have them sign contracts.

TTUTA additionally questioned the haste to start contracts in September and stated that decisions for Teacher Educators were made in small groups whilst the Working Committee charged with the responsibility of conducting interviews was bypassed.

The union stated there were attempts by the council to schedule urgent meetings with the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education and the Minister in the Ministry of Education to discuss the issues arising from the transfers, however, to date there has been no response from either ministry.

TTUTA said the unresponsive approach demonstrated “the callous indifference of the persons in charge of the process.”

As a result, the union unanimously decided to adopt several positions to resolve the matters, timely, including challenging the legality of the proposed transfer and “other actions” which the union said would “intensify as time goes on” and are set to begin on June 29.

When contacted for details concerning the “other actions” planned, TTUTA president Clyde Permell told Newsday, the union was not ready to specify its plans at this time, but they will be made public on June 29.