00:00Under the direction of the Honourable Prime Minister, we move with urgency, purpose and respect for Labour to bring closure
00:07to these matters.
00:08Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report on this historic day of Mayday that we have delivered across all major
00:15bargaining units.
00:17Public Utilities Minister Barry Padrath delivered a statement in the House of Representatives about the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission,
00:25TNTech.
00:25Under the agreement with the Oilfield Workers Trade Union, in the amount of $16 million, retroactive COLA on basic pay
00:34and overtime for inactive employees from January 1st, 2015 to September 30th, 2025, based on RPI movement.
00:44The Public Utilities Minister told the lower house the payments are to be made in three tranches.
00:50As of May 15th, 2026, the first tranche will be paid to TNTech workers of $5.33 million in outstanding
00:59COLA.
01:00June 15th, 2026, a further $5.3 million outstanding to TNTech workers.
01:10On July 15th, 2026, Mr. Speaker, the final tranche will be completed of $5.33 million to affected TNTech workers.
01:21This is a promise that was made, a promise kept, Mr. Speaker.
01:26An announcement was made about the union which represents the estate police at TNTech.
01:31Under the agreement with the Estate Police Association, in the amount of $1.5 million, retroactive COLA on basic pay
01:39and overtime for inactive estate police officers for the same period.
01:43Payments will be made in two equal tranches.
01:46June 15th, 2026, of $75 million.
01:52And July 15th, 2026, $75 million.
01:56The Public Utilities Minister also announced that under the agreement with the Senior Staff Association, a parity adjustment of $5
02:05million has been established to be applied from Friday, May 1st.
02:10Let us be clear, Mr. Speaker, these are not gifts. These are not political favors.
02:15These are obligations that were ignored for a decade under my colleagues opposite in the PNM.
02:20As the UNC-led government continues to face criticism from the opposition PNM about its relationship with the trade union
02:28movement,
02:29the Public Utilities Minister told the lower house that he instructed WASA to meet with the PSA to continue negotiations.
02:37Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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