According to the Ministry of Labour, TTALPA submitted a letter on December 8th, 2021, informing the Ministry about the breakdown in negotiations for a revised Collective Agreement spanning from 2015 to 2018 between the association and CAL. The letter was officially received by the Ministry on December 9th, 2021. TTALPA stated that its proposals had been submitted to CAL on October 24th, 2019.
In response, the Ministry of Labour, in a letter dated December 13th, 2021, pointed out that the reported breakdown was outside the statute of limitations. The Ministry referred to Section 51 (3) of the Industrial Relations Act, Chapter 88:01, which allows for an extension of time to report a matter that was not initially reported within the legally mandated six-month period.
The Ministry also highlighted that the Industrial Court’s advice from July 22nd, 1981, emphasised the applicability of Section 51 (3) of the Industrial Relations Act to any dispute arising from “interest” issues. It clarified that such disputes would involve the initial submission of negotiation details to the other party involved.
Acknowledging the Ministry’s letter, TTALPA responded via email on December 13th, 2021. Subsequently, there were several exchanges between the Ministry, TTALPA, and TTALPA’s consultant, Zatopek Solutions Inc., regarding the reported breakdown in negotiations.
However, up until the present moment, neither party has officially requested an extension under Section 51 (3) of the Act from the Minister. This extension would allow for the proper reporting of a negotiation breakdown. As a result, the Ministry of Labour clarifies that no trade dispute is currently under its purview regarding the alleged breakdown in negotiations covering the period from 2015 to 2018.
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