The Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) held a press conference on June 17, 2026, voicing urgent concerns affecting educators in the nation. The Association’s primary grievance is the continued non-payment of outstanding backpay owed to educators. In recent comments, the Finance Minister indicated these payments would not occur until Fiscal Year 2027, a stance that TTUTA finds profoundly disappointing and frustrating.
The Association also shed light on the dysfunctionality of the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). The non-functioning EAP has left educators requiring professional counselling and support services to bear these costs personally, a situation TTUTA deems untenable.
Further, TTUTA questioned the government’s logic. If educators are expected to wait for their outstanding entitlements until Fiscal Year 2027, should school activities such as the Continuous Assessment Component, extra-curricular activities, and numerous other school-based functions also be deferred until then?
TTUTA made it explicitly clear that it will stand with any member who refuses to undertake duties outside their agreed terms and employment conditions. The Association awaits a positive and timely resolution from the Finance Minister, stressing that educators need their backpay. The ball is now firmly in the Finance Minister’s court.
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