Government says no 10% wage offer was made to TSTT workers as negotiations with the Communication Workers Union continue.
The Government of Trinidad and Tobago is rejecting claims that a 10% wage increase was offered to workers at Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT), as negotiations with the Communication Workers Union (CWU) continue.
Speaking on TTT’s morning programme FOCUS on Saturday, Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath said he had been advised by TSTT’s vice president and acting chief executive officer that no 10% wage offer had been placed on the bargaining table. Padarath said the government would not be pressured into accepting an agreement that could affect TSTT’s financial position.
“I have made it abundantly clear that at no time, any 10% wage offer was ever offered to the CWU, and therefore, there’s no 10% wage offer on the table,” Padarath said.
The minister said workers and unions have a constitutional right to protest but maintained that industrial action would not determine the pace of TSTT’s operations. He said the government remained prepared to return to the bargaining table and follow the established negotiation process.
“We will act in good faith in terms of returning to the bargaining table,” Padarath said, adding that the government would take steps to ensure workers were treated fairly while protecting the company’s long-term welfare.
The dispute centers on whether discussions between the CWU and TSTT previously resulted in an understanding on a 10% increase. CWU Secretary General Joanne Ogeer has maintained that the union discussed proposals with company officials and that calculations were undertaken on the cost of the proposed increase. The union has continued to demand a 10% increase covering outstanding bargaining periods.
Padarath has repeatedly rejected the union’s account, saying TSTT management and the company’s board have advised him that no 10% offer was made. The minister has also said negotiations should continue through the established bargaining process rather than through public pressure.
The disagreement comes amid growing tensions between the government, TSTT management and the CWU. The union staged a protest outside TSTT House in Port of Spain on Friday and has called on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to intervene directly in the wage negotiations.
Both sides therefore remain divided over the status of the 10% figure, with the government maintaining that no such offer is on the table while the union continues to argue that the figure emerged from negotiations with TSTT representatives.