TTUTA blasts delay in Tobago teachers’ salaries

2026-03-19 - 02:14

Tobago Correspondent President of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA), Crystal Ashe, has expressed grave concern following reports that teachers in Tobago will not receive their revised salaries this month. In a media statement yesterday, Ashe said the Ministry of Education’s online platform indicates that educators in Trinidad will receive their adjusted remuneration following the April 2025 negotiation settlement. Days before the April 28 general election, TTUTA—under former president Martin Lum Kin—reached an agreement with the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) for a five per cent increase covering the period 2020–2023. The union has since been calling for months for the agreement to be reflected in salaries. Last month, Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo said teachers would receive their revised salaries and backpay by the end of the first quarter—March 31. However, Ashe said TTUTA has been informed that instructions from the Ministry of Finance, via the Office of the CPO, to the Tobago House of Assembly’s Division of Finance, Skills and Innovation were not issued in a timely manner. “As a result, the division has advised that it is unable to process these payments in time for the March salary cycle,” he said. “This disparity is unacceptable. Trinidad and Tobago is one nation, and our Tobago brothers and sisters must be treated with equity and fairness. They should have been in receipt of their new salaries at the same time as their counterparts in Trinidad.” Ashe said educators have waited patiently for the agreed salaries and urged authorities to treat the matter with urgency to complete all required calculations and processes. “We are asking the Ministry of Finance: do what you need to do. Give the Division of Education the necessary personnel and resources. Double up on your hours. Let our teachers in Tobago receive their money in a timely manner. Let them receive it now,” he said. TTUTA also said it was concerned that there is no evidence of backpay being prepared for disbursement, noting this contradicts previous statements by Tancoo in an interview with the media outside Parliament last month. TTUTA Tobago officer Deon Rodriguez told Guardian Media there is no anxiety or concern among teachers—yet—as March salaries have not been paid. Guardian Media sent questions to Secretary of Education Orlando Kerr seeking clarification on whether TTUTA’s concerns are valid and, if so, when the revised salaries will be implemented. However, he did not respond to WhatsApp messages up to the time of publication. Tancoo also did not respond to questions regarding TTUTA’s concerns.