The Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) is ready to go to ‘war’ with Government if there is no immediate move to improve the salaries of teachers.
Yesterday, thousands of teachers stayed away from classes as they heeded the call by TTUTA to engage in a peaceful protest through the streets of the capital.
Following the action yesterday, TTUTA’s General Council is expected to meet in an emergency session today to decide what will be the next move for teachers.
Issuing a warning at the end of yesterday’s two and a half-hour march through Port-of-Spain, TTUTA President Lynsley Doodhai said, “I am signalling to the Chief Personnel Officer and the Minister of Finance that TTUTA has taken off the proverbial kids’ gloves and we are prepared to engage in serious battle with the powers that be.”
Addressing hundreds of teachers at the Brian Lara Promenade around 3 pm, Doodhai claimed it was unacceptable that they were still waiting on counter-proposals from the CPO five years later, relating to salary negotiations for the period October 1, 2014, to September 30, 2017.
He said the inaction by the Minister of Finance to instruct the CPO on this outstanding matter was an act of disrespect to the nation’s teachers.
To their members, Doodhai said, “We have been hearing the cries of our members. We know you are frustrated. We know you are angry and not prepared to take this disrespect any longer.”
Lamenting the plight of teachers, Doodhai said they too were affected by the rising cost of living and had been forced to absorb three increases in the price of fuel since the last salary negotiation in December 2014.
Doodhai admitted that many teachers had been forced to secure a second source of income to maintain their families, and advised, “Get ready to battle even more.”
He sounded a warning that yesterday’s march was only the beginning of a war that would soon unfold, telling teachers they had a challenge ahead to get those teachers who would not have attended the march, to come out and support future action.
Referring to the recent debate which preceded the salary increase for parliamentarians and judges who claimed they were unable to live on a $10,000 per month pension, Doodhai said, “Your salaries are not even $10,000…and if it is not enough for them, who are we?”
Doodhai urged members to be prepared for further action as he warned that the march was only a precursor of things to come.
Asked how he felt about the action, Education Minister Anthony Garcia acknowledged that teachers had a right to engage in such action.
Having worn the cap as TTUTA president for almost 13 years himself, Garcia said he was aware that one of TTUTA’s main objectives was to gain public support.
Indicating his objective was to ensure the administration of the curriculum was not interrupted, Garcia assured that contingency plans had been put in place yesterday to minimize the fall-out which was created by teachers being absent.
Up to 11.30 am yesterday, preliminary figures from the Education Ministry indicated there was a 44.5 per cent turnout of teachers in secondary schools, while a 36.7 per cent turnout of students reported for school.
In the primary school system, a 37.53 per cent turnout of teachers reported for work, while 31.54 per cent of students turned up for classes.
Of the seven educational districts in Trinidad, the ministry confirmed a total of 76,525 students at the secondary level, of which only 28,024 reported for classes yesterday.
Out of a total of 109,408 primary school students, only 34,506 students reported to school yesterday.