(CMC) – The Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) says its members will receive outstanding payments from the government in September for the period 2020 to 2023.
However, TTUTA president Crystal Ashe said there has been no official communication from the Ministry of Finance or the Ministry of Education regarding the payments. She said all government employees receive their salaries on 22 September, and reports of teachers receiving their back pay “would be as a result of the advocacy of the association and the advocacy of its members.
“The workers say they have gone on the Integrated Human Resource Information System (IHRIS), a centralised government platform that allows public officers to view their pay slips online.
“We would like to thank our members at this point in time for all your hard work, all your belief in your association (and) we would also like to encourage those persons who are not yet members to get into the closest TTUTA office and ensure that you are represented by your association,” she added.
In a statement, the TTUTA said the payment of arrears estimated at TT$900 million is an important outcome and a victory for the association. It reminded its membership that during the media budget review in June 2026, Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo had said that outstanding payments would be made in fiscal 2027.
TTUTA said it now appears that the payments being made at the end of this financial year is the result of continued advocacy and pressure brought to bear on both the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education.
Tancoo has promised to make a statement in Parliament on the issue on Wednesday.
