Teachers will not rest for the July/August vacation but will keep up their protest action until the external labour market survey is completed by the Chief Personnel Officer to determine their salaries. President of the T&T Unified Teachers' Association (TTUTA) Roustan Job yesterday warned of picketing action outside the CPO's office on St Vincent Street in Port-of-Spain "in the coming week." Job said: "I want to remind the powers that be that the working conditions of the teachers are the learning conditions of the child and if you have teachers out there who cannot be mentally, physically and financially fit, then we are in trouble."
He was among several labour leaders who addressed the media at a press conference at the Communication Workers' Union building, Henry Street, Port-of-Spain.
Job said teachers were entering the vacation with "heavy hearts." Graduates of the University of T&T (UTT) yesterday protested outside the Ministry of Education's office on Alexandra Street, St Clair, to highlight their dissatisfaction over non-placement and entry into the teaching service. Job said: "They have completed the four-year programme at the University of Trinidad and Tobago and somehow promises that were made are not being kept and what we are saying to UTT and the Government is to ensure they complete the assessment of these people's degrees and to put them in the correct positions in the teaching service." He also called on the ministry to inform the graduates of any additional requirements needed to be assessed as secondary school teachers.
The TTUTA and the CPO have been locked in negotiations for a long time and Job said there was a certain reluctance for the external labour market survey to be completed. Last Friday when he met with CPO Stephanie Lewis, Job said there was "a blinking light, a very small ray of hope." He added: "We are going into the vacation with heavy hearts but I can assure you negotiations will continue. We are not resting at all until we get a better day."