Contract teachers in Tobago have won a landmark judgement against the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) which has been ordered to immediately pay all gratuity and outstanding payments.

The decision handed down by  Justice David Harris acknowledged that the THA breached the Constitutional Rights of the Contract Teachers to Equality of Treatment and enjoyment of property, by failing to pay them their outstanding Gratuities. The THA was ordered to pay the Contract Teachers interest at 2.5% per annum on all outstanding monies and gratuities due and owing to them from the date of filing of the Claim to the date of Judgment and a 5% on all outstanding monies and gratuities due and owing to them from the date of Judgment to the date of payment.

A constitutional motion was brought by a group of 14 contract teachers through attorney Martin George (inset in photo).

The attorneys will be writing and sending a copy of the Judgment to Mr Kelvin Charles who is the Chief Secretary of the THA and who is also the Secretary of Education for the THA.

 “As a follow up the attorneys will write to Mr. Kelvin Charles in a separate correspondence, calling upon the THA, to also begin paying all outstanding gratuities and all outstanding monies due to all of THA’s Contract Workers and THA Employees, because based on this Judgment, it is clear that the High Court has ruled that it is a breach of the Constitutional Rights of THA’s Contract Teachers, for the THA to not pay them immediately, all their outstanding Gratuities and outstanding Monies.

 “So, in the same way, it will be argued, that it is a breach of the Constitutional Rights of all of the THA’s other Employees, for the THA to not pay them immediately, all their outstanding Gratuities and outstanding Monies,” the firm said.