CPO: Progress in wage talks with teachers

The Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association has blamed a possible two-day absence on unsettled wage negotiations with the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) but the CPO tells a different story. According to a statement from  CPO Stephanie Lewis yesterday, the two parties have been meeting to determine revised salaries for teachers for the period October 2008-September 2011 since July 2010. The statement said discussions have been continuing at weekly meetings and said significant progress had been made to date with agreement being reached on several issues. The release said agreement had been made on nine principles to govern the revision of salaries, the teaching jobs, the list of organisations and list of comparator jobs to be used in the market survey. “Agreement on the list of organisations to be used was reached on June 15 while the list of comparator jobs was reached on August 24,” noted the CPO.
 

The statement said discussions were being held on the salaries of comparator jobs which are to be used in respect of the last year of the teachers’ salary agreement. It said the last meeting took place last week Friday and it was expected the parties would meet on Friday. “Once agreement is reached on the salaries of comparator jobs to be used, the parties must determine the formula to be used to derive actual salaries to be paid to teachers for the period,” the statement added. “It is also anticipated teachers will continue to demonstrate their usual high level of commitment to the students of T&T,” it stated The CPO noted “with concern” public statements by TTUTA suggesting teachers would absent themselves from school on Thursday and Friday to rest and reflect. TTUTA also suggested similar action would continue if the CPO failed to complete the proposed external labour market survey.