Caption: TTUTA President Crystal Asche, centre, and his executive leave the Ministry of Finance, Eric Williams Financial Complex, Port of Spain, after delivering a letter to Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo

Summary

• Adjusted Salaries Arriving: Teachers will see their agreed-upon 5% wage increase reflected in this month’s pay cycle, nearly a year after the April 2025 agreement.
• Backpay Still Pending: TTUTA has received no correspondence regarding the estimated $730 million in backpay owed to teachers.
• Standing in Solidarity: The TTUTA executive is refusing to accept their own adjusted salaries until all teachers are paid, vowing to ‘wear red’ until Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo provides a timeline for the backpay.

By Alicia Chamely

TEACHERS are expected to receive their adjusted salaries this month, according to Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) President Crystal Asche.

Speaking with AZP News on Tuesday, Asche confirmed the 5% increase, agreed upon in April 2025, is set to be implemented in this month’s pay cycle.

On April 22, 2025, TTUTA agreed to a 5% wage increase for the period 2020 to 2023, distributed with a spread of 1%, 1%, and 3%. Estimated backpay for this period has been calculated at $730 million.

Asche said the increase is currently visible on the Ministry of Finance’s payment portal, though salaries have not yet been disbursed for the month. He noted that the TTUTA Executive has made the decision not to accept their own adjusted salaries until it is confirmed that all teachers have been paid their adjusted amounts.

While TTUTA is grateful for the salary adjustment, Asche said the union could not help but be concerned about the length of time it has taken for the increase to be applied. He stated it has been almost a year of fighting to get the Ministry to finally implement the agreed-upon adjustments.

Asked whether teachers would also be receiving their backpay, Asche said the union has not received any correspondence or indication that they will be. He noted that while finally receiving the salary adjustments is a victory, there is still a “large portion” of the agreement left to be fulfilled.

Asche—who, along with the TTUTA executive, hand-delivered two letters to Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo requesting a payment timeline—said TTUTA has yet to be contacted by the Minister or called in for dialogue.

Until the backpay is distributed, Asche said the TTUTA executive will continue to call on Tancoo for a timeline and open dialogue.

He added that the executive will continue to “wear red until we get the rest of our bread.”

Calls and messages sent to Tancoo for a response went unanswered up to press time.