The Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) will be exploring its legal options to safeguard the jobs of teachers at Bishop Anstey and Trinity College East (BATCE) schools.
Following a meeting with some teachers at its Carlsen Field office on Tuesday, TTUTA president Martin Lum Kin said the association is willing to go to the Industrial Court to defend the rights of its members.
TTUTA also questioned why it was never included in the years-long negotiations between the Bishop Anstey Association (BAA) and Government for the schools to transition to a government-assisted model.
Nevertheless, Lum Kin said the teaching association will now be representing the workers as teachers deserve their voices to be heard.
Speaking on CNC3's The Morning Brew programme Lum Kin said, “We will explore any options even if it is by way of litigation, by way of the law, by way of the Industrial Court. We will explore whatever we can to have our members represented properly and that they are given the voice and the hearing that is necessary, and the future because it is quite unfair.”
“The teachers, the educators have not been given the opportunity to express their concerns and be relieved of whatever stress and anxiety that they have and they have quite a bit… You are negotiating between the ministry and the BAA, what about the teachers? What about the union, the association who would have the best interest of the teachers? Why haven’t we been included in that. We are going to make representation on behalf of our members,” he added.
Last week, the Ministry of Education (MoE) said the negotiations for the schools’ transition are already at an advanced stage.
It said within the next 30 to 60 days, final recommendations for the transition are expected to go to Cabinet.
However, both teachers and TTUTA believe that the negotiations are based on economic considerations and are not being done in the best interest of staff or students.
Lum Kim added, “It’s really a situation where it appears that it’s an economic consideration taking place. You’re hearing about $60 million and $50 million but what about the well-being of the teachers? You’re talking about what is in the best interest of the teachers but you have not really engaged them.”
One teacher at BATCE, who asked to remain anonymous, told Guardian Media, “I think most people feel this is a two-party negotiation between MoE and BAA and that the BAA is speaking for the teachers. The truth is, the teachers have a list of concerns that the BAA is not addressing. In fact nowhere in this entire negotiation has the BAA addressed staff or their issues and the teachers feel like it is time that their truth be told.”
Another teacher, who attended the meeting with TTUTA said while no absolute promises were made, they felt reassured by TTUTA that there are laws to protect their rights. The teacher added the union would do whatever it could to protect them.
He said some of the issues raised at the meeting included salaries, teachers re-applying for their positions, the future of contract workers, whether or not teachers will be allowed to be assessed by the Teaching Service Commission, and pensions among others.
More teachers have joined TTUTA and many more said they plan to become members of the teaching association very soon.
On Tuesday, the Education Ministry said the Cabinet appointed a new sub-committee to reengage the negotiations.
The ministry said the terms of the new management agreement between the State and the BAA have not yet been settled but the parties involved are fully engaged in complex discussions on a monthly basis.
Only Monday, BAA’s chairman Bishop of the Anglican Diocese Rt Rev’d Claude Berkley claimed no agreement for the schools to transition to government-assisted had been made despite the ministry saying BAA agreed in August 2023. He said he and the BAA were quite surprised by the ministry's announcement.