Government Draws the Line on Union Demands

Cabinet has delivered its answer to the unions, and it is a mix of rejection, compromise and promises of continued dialogue. Government will not remove BTL’s chairman or its appointed directors, restructure the telecommunications company’s board or overhaul the Public Utilities Commission. It says the law does not support those demands and argues that BTL’s financial performance justifies keeping its leadership in place. Government is also standing firmly behind the Revenue Authority Bill, warning that withdrawing it could weaken Belize’s reform agenda and hurt its credit outlook. But Cabinet says it is willing to work with unions on the transition, meet with labor leaders every quarter and continue discussions on teachers’ duties, classroom resources and increased support for the University of Belize. It is also promising progress on whistleblower protection, campaign finance legislation, civil asset recovery and the vacant Ombudsman post. So, while several major union demands have been rejected, government says the door to dialogue remains open.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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