PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, May 11, CMC -The general council of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) will meet here on Friday amid growing concerns regarding the payment of outstanding backpay to teachers.
TTUTA president, Crystal Ashe says his members are fed up and that it has been more than a year since an agreement was signed with the government for the payment of the backpay.
He said there has been no update from either Finance Ministry or the Education Ministry and that when the council meets on Friday it will make a decision on the way forward.
He said that teachers are physically as well as mentally stressed.
“ TTUTA is a responsible organisation, which I would always articulate, and we would not put forward things like that. I would never say such a thing. But if my teachers and my educators are so overwhelmed and they’re so disheartened by what is happening, who’s to say what happened? (
“ Who’s to say? And you know, a word to the wise is sufficient, “Ashe said.
TTUTA said that the areas are for the period 2020–2023 period and despite earlier promises for payment by early 2026, many teachers including those in Tobago staff are still waiting.
TTUTA has been pressing for the full implementation of a five per cent salary increase for the 2020-2023 period. The agreement was reached just days before the April 28 general election between the union and the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO).
Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo had previously promised settlement by the first quarter of 2026, attributing delays to administrative bottlenecks rather than a lack of funds.
CMC/gh/ir/2026