PSU Declares Trade Dispute, 21-Day Countdown to Strike Begins

The countdown has begun, and the tension is rising. During the Open Your Eyes morning show, president of the Public Service Union (PSU), Dean Flowers, confirmed that the union has officially declared a formal trade dispute with the Government of Belize, which has triggered a 21-day countdown to potential industrial action.

This includes nationwide strikes, even within essential services.

Labour Minister Florencio Marin Jr returned to Belize this week from a working trip to Geneva to face growing pressure from public officers. The dispute comes just days after PSU members marched through the streets of Belmopan to the Labour Office on June 9, demanding government action.

PSU President Dean Flowers confirmed the union has received acknowledgement of the dispute, stating that Minister Marin “has 21 days to do that, and within those 21 days, he is supposed to either identify a solution or set up a tribunal to bring the parties together.”

“After 21 days, the PSU and all its essential services and units attached to the public service union can engage in full-fledged industrial action, including strike action,” he added.

Those essential services include customs, immigration, the petroleum sector, financial services, civil aviation, and the fire department, among others.

Earlier this afternoon, the PSU members wore their yellow shirts to flood the entrance of the Philip Goldson International Airport as a form of industrial action. Flowers led the protest and held a poster saying, “Democracy dies in silence. We won’t be quiet.”