WORKERS at the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (TTEC) will not get a salary increase for the period 2015 to 2017 after the industrial court ruled that it would be too expensive for TTEC to pay at this time.
The judgment was delivered on February 18 by a three-member team comprised of Lawrence Achong, chairman of the essential services division and members Vincent Cabrera and Michelle Austin.
The workers were represented by the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) who requested a 12 per cent wage increase along with a cost of living allowance increase of four cents.
In delivering its decision, the panel said: 'While we are convinced that the union is deserving of an increase in salary under normal circumstances, we are equally convinced that the commission is not in a position to pay anything at this point in time. Should the court make an award in favour of the union and the commission is forced to pay, the logical result will be retrenchment.'
The 50 page judgment said TTEC is currently owed $1.38 billion of which $964 million is for arrears, by various ministries and state agencies.
In its own submission the union suggested that TTEC raise its rates in order to earn more so that the company can pay workers an increased salary. OWTU argued that the last increase in electricity rates was in 2005.
'It is of the view of this union that the big-ticket items that are required to turn the commission around are: (i) Charging economic rates for light and power. (ii) Fixing the onerous power-purchase agreements between the commission and its bulk suppliers. (iii) Negotiations for a more reasonable gas price from the National Gas Company (NGC).'
TTEC submitted that, as a state body, it could only act on the direction of Government and the company had received no instructions to counter offer the union's suggested 12 per cent increase or its suggestions on how to raise revenue.
The judgment panel said the union, while arguing that the increased wages would cost TTEC $51 million a year going forward, it failed to take into consideration the back pay that would be due, not only on the salaries but on COLA and other allowances.
The panel also agreed that with a yearly expense of $ 4.2 billion and an annual income of $3.2 billion, TTEC was operating at a loss and could not afford any increases at this time. It agreed that had TTEC been profitable for a period and experienced hardships during the pandemic, the panel's decision might have been different.
The court ruled that to pay increased wages of yesteryear must be done in consideration of today's financial ability and TTEC is just not able to do so.
As a result of TTEC's financial constraints, the panel ruled that for the period in questions, workers are to be given no increase.
In a media release on Monday, the OWTU claimed there was political interference in the court's decision.
'We recognise the political intent behind establishing the Industrial Court, ie, removing workers' rights to take direct action in their own interest an
