A recent announcement from Trinidad and Tobago’s Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo has sparked mixed reactions from the nation’s trade unions, as the government commits to setting aside funds in the 2027 national budget to cover all obligations stemming from ongoing wage negotiations with public sector workers, including nurses and teachers.
Tancoo made the pledge during parliamentary debate Monday, while discussing the government’s request for an additional $2.9 billion in supplementary funding to cover urgent recurrent and capital spending through September 30, 2026. He clarified that the necessary tabulation and quantification of negotiated wage increases will take several weeks or months to complete, making the 2027 budget the appropriate place to allocate for these settled obligations. “Appropriate provisions will be made in the budget fiscal 2027 to meet all obligations settled between now and budget 2027,” he told parliament.
In interviews following the announcement, union leaders have offered a range of responses, with some welcoming the commitment and others expressing skepticism over the extended timeline. David Forbes, general secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Postal Workers Union (TTPWU), said his organization welcomed the plan, noting that the commitment includes postal workers who have been negotiating back wages for the 2013 to 2019 period. Forbes confirmed that non-cost items in the negotiations are nearly finalized, with the union awaiting cost guidance from the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO). “We anticipate nothing less than 10%,” Forbes said, adding the union’s most recent proposal was for a 12% increase, with a pending job evaluation to be addressed once negotiations conclude.
Forbes added that the announcement was not unexpected, saying the timeline aligned with the government’s fiscal calendar. He also noted that some unions, including the Amalgamated Workers Union and the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA), have already accepted a 4% increase. Ahead of the national Labour Day holiday Friday, Forbes called on all workers to participate in the traditional historical march, to honor the struggles of past workers and push for progress. He also shared that Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) president Ancel Roget is expected to address the finance minister’s announcement alongside other pressing labor issues — including the planned reopening of the Petrotrin refinery — during the day’s events.
Michael Annisette, general secretary of the National Trade Union Centre (Natuc), echoed Forbes’ positive opening stance, emphasizing that granting workers long-overdue compensation is not just fair, but beneficial for the national economy. “I welcome the idea every effort has been made to give workers their just due. It’s good for the economy. The workers have been patient and continued working assiduously,” Annisette said. He called for the commitment to extend to all categories of public sector workers, noting that outstanding collective agreements should not leave workers waiting a decade or more for resolution. “Workers should be able to recover their purchasing power that was lost. We have to ensure there’s no recurrence of this kind of delay,” he stressed, adding that collective agreements should be settled within their standard three-year term. Echoing International Labour Organisation standards, he added: “People are our greatest resource, and every effort should be made to ensure they are respected and properly remunerated. There must be sustainable growth and sustainable employment.”
Gerard Gordon, president of the Prison Officers’ Association, said the announcement signals the government’s intent to resolve outstanding negotiations quickly. His association is currently preparing a counter-proposal for the CPO, covering the outstanding 2020 to 2022 wage period, and Gordon said the group looks forward to reaching a settled agreement that delivers necessary salary adjustments for correctional officers moving forward.
Not all union leaders have backed the timeline, however. TTUTA president Crystal Ashe rejected the government’s 2027 timetable, pointing out that previous timelines set by the administration have been revised multiple times, questioning whether negotiations will stretch all the way to the end of the current government’s term. On the other hand, Idi Stuart, president of the Trinidad and Tobago National Nursing Association (TTNNA), said his organization welcomes the announcement and will consult its full membership on the proposed timeline for salary adjustments.
As of Wednesday, attempts by reporters to reach Ancel Roget, Public Services Association president Felisha Thomas, and Transport and Industrial Workers’ Union president Shawn Roberts for comment were unsuccessful.