Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago

For administrative purposes, the Court is divided into the following Departments:

Accounts

The Accounting Unit maintains the proper system of accounting as prescribed by the Treasury (Ministry of Finance). This system covers the passing of vouchers for payments and accounting for any service in respect of which moneys have been appropriated by the Constitution, by Parliament, or by any person to whom issues are made from the Exchequer Accounts as it relates to a specific Ministry or Department.

The Unit facilitates the management of the Court’s accounting and financial affairs through the processing of payments, recording of transactions and the issuance of financial reports to the Registrar, Comptroller of Accounts, Ministry of Finance and Auditor General. It is divided into two parts:

  • A sub-accounting unit where the placing of orders is undertaken and where payment vouchers are prepared, voted and certified.
  • A main accounting unit where vouchers are passed by its own check staff and vote control for cheque preparation and reconciliation.

Communications

The Corporate Communications Department is responsible for the development, implementation and evaluation of the communication strategies and programmes that support the strategic goals and objectives of the Industrial Court. The Department’s services include:

  • Internal and External Communications
  • Event Management
  • Stakeholder Relationship Management
  • Media Relations
  • Advertising
  • Protocol

Court Registry

The Court Registry is the central administrative hub of the Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago. Headed by the Registrar, who is assisted by the Assistant Registrar, the Court Administrator and other public officers, the Registry is responsible for receiving, filing and processing court documents and maintaining case files. Its functions include coordinating case management and conciliation dates, preparing court lists, issuing notices and summonses, processing court orders, and registering approved Collective Agreements and Memoranda of Agreement. The Registry plays an important role in supporting the efficient administration of cases and the day-to-day operations of the court.

The Registry also assists members of the public by providing general information about the Court’s procedures, rules and practices, court lists, case-related matters and access to court decisions. However, Registry staff cannot provide legal advice, recommend whether a person should bring a case, advise on what to say or write in court documents, or speak to a Judge on anyone’s behalf. Persons seeking legal advice should consult a qualified legal practitioner.

Court Reporting

The Court Reporting Department (CRD) is responsible for the production of verbatim court transcripts. The department is comprised of Verbatim Reporters and Computer Aided Transcription (CAT) Reporters. A Verbatim Reporter II is in charge of the Verbatim Reporters and a Senior CAT Reporter is in charge of the CAT Reporters. Court reporting is a specialised field and the Court Reporters are professionals who are considered the “guardian of the records”.

The modes of transcription are manual computer transcription with the aid of For the Record (FTR) Software, Computer Aided Transcript using the Eclipse Software, and Real-time using Eclipse Software for instantaneous transcription.

The CRD plays a pivotal role in the delivery of timely judgments, since the judges rely on court transcripts for completion of judgments. This section also provides court transcripts to representatives of parties involved in matters before the Court, as well as to the Court of Appeal when matters are appealed. All enquiries with respect to court transcripts (also known as notes of proceedings) must be directed to the Registry Department.

Human Resource Management

The Human Resource Management Department consists of a Senior Human Resource Officer, Human Resource Officer III, Clerk III, Clerk I, Clerk Typist I and two Short Term Contract Officers. The core function is to maximise the output of the Court’s human resources and to create an environment whereby the organisational and individual goals and objectives can be achieved.

The following fall under the purview of the Human Resource Department:

  • Recruitment and staffing;
  • Delegated and Devolved functions in accordance with Section 127 of the Constitution;
  • Employee Assistance Programme (EAP);
  • Induction and Orientation;
  • Training and development;
  • Performance Management and Appraisal System; and
  • Employee and Industrial Relations.

Pension and Leave

The Pension and Leave sub-unit has responsibility for the preparation and collation of work history data for all Judges and established members of staff, both past and present, in accordance with the Pension Extension Act 34 of 1961 and Pensions and Gratuities of Member Regulation. Once the information is collated and prepared it is then forwarded to the Pensions Division of the Ministry of Finance and the Economy for processing of pensions and gratuity benefits.

Information Technology

The Information Technology Department supports the Court’s technology environment by managing and maintaining IT and network infrastructure, supporting cybersecurity through appropriate security measures, monitoring systems, providing technical assistance, overseeing backup and recovery, and managing and investigating incidents. The Department also supports IT projects, provides staff training and technical guidance, monitors service delivery, investigates and resolves technical issues, and implements measures to ensure the reliability, security, and continuity of the Court’s technology services.

Internal Audit

The Internal Audit Unit provides assurance to the Accounting Officer that all systems operating within the Court are effective. This unit is independent and helps the organisation accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control and governance processes.

The Internal Audit provides auditing services not only to the Industrial Court but also to the Tax Appeal Board, the Environmental Commission, the Equal Opportunity Tribunal and the Public Service Appeal Board.

The Legal Department aims to be the foremost reference point at the Industrial Court for accessing legal advice and information on industrial relations and related matters. The core objectives of the department are:

  • To provide timely and quality legal advice and opinions to the President, Vice President, Judges and other senior officials of the Industrial Court;
  • To assist the legal departments of public entities in Trinidad and Tobago in the dispensation of social justice in industrial relations matters;
  • To advance the development of the legal aspects of industrial relations by providing critical analysis and assessment on related matters as required by officials of the Court;
  • To develop and maintain a current repository of legal opinions and other legal documents in industrial relations.

Office of Economic and Industrial Research

The Office of Economic and Industrial Research (OEIR) which was established by Section 82 (1) of the Industrial Relations (IR) Act Chapter 88:01, is responsible for the production of all economic, labour and industrial research material and statistics in the Industrial Court. The Department plays a critical role in supporting the Court in the furtherance of its stated purpose - “to better provide for the stabilisation, improvement and promotion of industrial relations in Trinidad and Tobago.”

Section 82 (2) of the IR Act delineates the ambit of the functions of the OEIR as follows:

  • “To collect and compile in accordance with directions of the Court, information which may be of assistance to the Court in the exercise of its powers and functions under this Act;
  • To keep information as collected and compiled up to date; and
  • To carry out research in respect of such matters as the Court may direct.

Information collected and compiled and the results of research carried out, under this section shall be furnished to any person, trade union or other organisation desiring to obtain that information or those results.”

The scope of the work of the OEIR includes the following:-

Publications:

  • Research Notes by order of the Court, arising from a breakdown in negotiations between union and management  
  • An Annual Bulletin on Trends in Labour and Industrial Relations, which analyses industrial relations trends juxtaposed with data on the domestic economic landscape and the labour market
  • An Analysis of Cost of Living Allowances (COLA) Extracted from Collective Agreements registered for the year. These reports present the average monthly COLA by sub-sector negotiated on behalf of employees, identifying trends from a comparative analysis of COLA for consecutive years
  • An Analysis of Wages and Salaries Extracted from Collective Agreements Registered for the year. This report conveys the findings of analyses of data and trends in wage settlements negotiated through the collective bargaining process, across sub-sectors. 
  • Research Papers on relevant issues in an economic, labour and industrial context.

Other Functions:

  • Analyse Collective Agreements received by the Court for registration, with a view to determining conformity with Industrial Relations legislation.
  • Compile, analyse and present statistical data for Court publications
  • Research and develop reports based on Ad hoc requests.
  • Make presentations to stakeholder groups.
  • Develop database as a collaborative effort.

Security/Safety Department

The Security/Safety Department of the Industrial Court of Trinidad & Tobago (ICTT) plays a critical role in maintaining a secure environment across both the Port of Spain and San Fernando Facilities. Led by a Security Manager and a Senior Security Officer, the department relies on a dedicated team of Security Officers to protect people, assets, and operations through modern security and safety principles.

To ensure clarity and compliance, the department's operations are divided into distinct categories separating daily security mandates from emergency safety protocols.

Core Security Mandates

  • Stakeholder Protection:
    Providing a continuous, visible sense of safety for Judges, staff, and all external visitors or court users.
  • Asset Protection:
    Safeguarding all physical property, infrastructure, and information assets belonging to the ICTT.
  • Modern Security Application:
    Aligning all security deployments and patrols with the core professional principles of the Industrial Court.

Emergency Safety Protocol

  • Evacuation Assistance:
    Actively guiding and managing the orderly evacuation of court facilities during any emergency.
  • Procedure Coordination:
    Supporting and implementing established emergency response plans to mitigate risk during critical incidents.
  • Dual-Facility Readiness:
    Maintaining identical safety and evacuation readiness standards at both the Port of Spain and the San Fernando Facilities