A letter has been delivered to Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales regarding outstanding negotiations for the period 2018-2020 for T&TEC workers.

In the letter, OWTU President Ancel Roget pointed to correspondence in December 2023 from T&TEC’s General Manager Curvis Francois, which said management was “awaiting guidance from the Chief Personnel Officer on the limits for negotiating the cost items”.

Mr Roget says four months have since passed, with no word on the recommencement of meetings.

He says T&TEC has also indicated that parties would sign off on all agreed non-cost items at the next negotiations meeting, which is still to be set.

Mr Roget says T&TEC’s apparent refusal to conclude negotiations is not only unfair and unjust, but also a serious violation of the principle of collective bargaining.

He says workers continue to suffer hardship, and called on Minister Gonzales to take the necessary steps to ensure the company returns to the bargaining table with a mandate to conclude the negotiations in its entirety.