Frustration is bubbling over at UB, where faculty and staff say they’ve waited long enough, ten years, to be exact, for a long-promised salary adjustment. Now, they’re calling for a nine percent raise, and they’re pointing fingers at the government for not following through on its pledge to boost the university’s subvention. Prime Minister John Briceño says he’s watching the situation closely, but will that translate into action? We put that question directly to him.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“I have to wait. On Tuesday the minister of education will give us a report and then we will see what is their recommendation.”
Imagine putting your life on the line for your country only to find out years later that you weren’t being paid what you were owed. That’s exactly what happened to many enlisted soldiers in the Belize Defense Force. Back in 2019, a salary error came to light, and while the government promised to fix it, the solution sparked even more confusion. Some soldiers feared they’d actually be taking home less money. We’re unpacking the truth behind those salary adjustments and what the defense minister revealed today that could clear the air.
Oscar Mira
Oscar Mira, Minister of Defense & Border Security
“I don’t think there was a backlash. It’s about information and that’s what I have done from the very beginning. I have been making sure that I meet with the BDF, that I meet with Coast Guard. It is not a pay cut. If it was a pay cut, it means it would’ve affected a hundred percent of the BDF, but it didn’t. It affected some. So it means that there was an error in 2019 and we needed to correct it. And it has taken so long to correct and I’m pleased to say that we have now corrected it. And not only that, but I was able to lobby cabinet to ensure that we got two allowances to all of the BDF and not only the allowances, but also, access to the commissary, which has given the BDF for morale boost.”
Reporter
“How many soldiers were affected?”
Oscar Mira
“I believe it’s about eighty percent of the soldiers that were affected. It was mostly the non-commission officers, so the commission officers, which are lieutenants and all the way up to general, those were not affected. So they were receiving their correct pay. It was the other ranks, mostly privates and capitals who were receiving a salary that was not correct and we had to correct it. And I have been informing them. I have been at the BDF Price Barrack’s making sure that they understand what we’re doing and it’s not just, when they look at their bank account that something is not the same as before. So they understand and we’re doing everything possible to ensure that we keep the morale up and that we are giving back to them in so many other forms.”
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize is throwing its support behind the University of Belize Faculty and Staff Union, as the call for a long-overdue salary increase grows louder. UBFSU says its members haven’t seen a raise in over a decade, and that’s making it harder to keep and attract quality lecturers. NTUCB President Ella Waight says it’s time those educators are fairly compensated for the work they do.
Ella Waight
Ella Waight, President, NTUCB
“I have been checking my email constantly and I have not seen a response from any of the parties that were invited. But we are hoping that there will be a meeting soon. We are hoping to meet very soon, because this matter is important. We don’t want an impasse at the university, and it leads to some kind of serious industrial action. That is not what we want to be the result of this. We want to see that the university and union get around the table and start serious dialogue about how our members can get their salary adjustment. Having the lecturers that teach our young people that this country matters and that workers matters, not getting a salary adjustment for over ten years is not logical. It is not fair, feasible. According to the acting president, we are having a brain drain at the university. What will happen when we have no one that wants to stay at the university. Where will we send our young people. We can’t send them to the private institutions. Form the fact that we call to our national university, everyone should be concerned and should want to assist in ensuring we retain these lecturers because they are very good lecturers and would retain the national university the standard it should be an elevate it to be a better university and that can only be done if we have our lecturers fully compensated for the work they do.”
But the big question now is — will the Minister of Education agree to meet with the union this Thursday? We’ll be watching.
Faculty and staff at the University of Belize are reaching a breaking point. Tonight, their union is calling on members to mobilize, after a promised nine percent salary increase appears to be slipping further out of reach. The University of Belize Faculty and Staff Union says the raise was supposed to take effect on April first of this year. Then, it was pushed to August. Now, they’re being told it depends on whether the government increases the university’s subvention. U.B.F.S.U. President Juliane Pasos says enough is enough. Faculty and staff haven’t seen a raise in over a decade. In fact, they took pay cuts during the pandemic, worked from home using their own resources, and watched their salary increments get frozen and stay frozen. To make matters worse, Pasos points out that while the university claimed financial hardship, records show it made over two million dollars in profit in just the last quarter of 2020. The union says it’s time for action and they’re ready to take a stand.
Juliane Pasos
Juliane Pasos, President, UBFSU
“In November 2024 the union put a proposal to the administration. We requested four things, a nine percent salary increase. The university employees had not gotten a salary increase since 2025. It has been ten years in the making. Given the cost of living going up and inflation, we decided nine percent was realistic. We didn’t want to put a ridiculous percentage that would require negotiations and back and forth. We put the nine percent as one of those things. We also asked that they restore the lost increments. A part of that was land in kind contributions. That was part of the 2020 agreement so the union and the administration would go an request land from UB inkind contribution. Because we had gotten an increase work load during the pandemic, faculty and staff worked from home using their own resources, getting a fifty dollar compensation per month for internet, not even covering that really. And so with that respect we said, we would want to get paid for that, but if we got the nine percent, the increment, and work on the land, then we would forgo payment for that, because the workload still continued today. We still have that high workload. So, the staff of UB really lost a lot during that 2020 agreement and COVID and it was not necessary because there was no financial exigency. So there was no need for us to sign that agreement. So all of this proposal is now asking the university to live up to its terms and live up to what the employee was affected by.”
The University of Belize Faculty and Staff Union is making it clear that they’re doing their part, but they’re not here to balance the university’s books. UBFSU President Juliane Pasos says while the union has been actively advocating for an increase in the university’s government subvention, it’s not their job to find the money to pay salaries. Now, the union is calling on the Minister of Education and the Minister of Finance to come to the table. They’ve requested a meeting this Thursday to figure out how everyone can get on the same page, for the good of the university, and the people who keep it running.
Juliane Pasos
Juliane Pasos, President, UBFSU
“In April now, the bulletin that I shared, stated that they wont be able to institute it April first. They said that it could not, but they would work to doing it at the end of UB fiscal year, which is August twenty-first, retroactive to April first. This we were not told were contingent to anything. We were just told that they found it in their finances and would institute the nine percent. Now they are saying that this was contingent on a promise made by the government to assist with this nine percent. That information was not shared with us at the time. It was later tagged to that. At the board of trustees now last week, I should say that after the information came out, the budget reading came out from the government, we called on the union to discuss the matter, he said he recognized that we are not in agreement that it was contingent but that they do need financing. He indicated that the university has found funding to pay us for one year, but it is not sustainable. That is something we understand. The board did not say we are not going to get the nine percent but that we will not get the nine percent unless we have the commitment of the government to give this additional funding. However it is not the union responsibility to go looking for funding to institute our salaries. This is another issue. So that is where we stand. The nine percent is part of an agreement, a larger issue because we have that proposal we are working on with the administration. But it is one of the things that is there.”
UBFSU says that after a decade with an adjustment, the nine percent is not generosity it is justice.
After weeks of back-and-forth, there’s a new twist in the salary adjustment saga between the Government of Belize and the Joint Union Negotiating Team. Today, government officials brought a fresh proposal to the table, offering a four-point-five percent salary bump starting this October, with another four percent to follow in 2026. That’s a faster timeline than their previous three-year plan. And there’s more: two long-frozen increments could finally be thawed, one in April 2026, the other in 2027. The two sides met in Belize City for what turned into a five-hour negotiation session. So, is this a breakthrough or just another step in a long journey? Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde shared his thoughts as he emerged from the meeting room.
Cordel Hyde
Cordel Hyde, Deputy Prime Minister
“It has been a long journey that started May thirteenth. If you had asked me then whether it takes this long to reach this point I would say no. But it has taken this long and I am hoping we are much close to the end than six weeks ago.”
Reporter
What was the reaction when you put this latest proposal to the table?
Cordel Hyde
“I think they were fair. We had a great discussion. I don’t want to prejudice what they have to do when they have to go back to their membership. But it is suffice to say that the government has committed to eight and a half percent from the get go. We have committed to it, along with the frozen increments over the next two years, and so there are other stuff. Hopefully they are able to get their membership to support and we reach pass this impasse.”
Reporter
Was their an increase from the four percent position?
Cordel Hyde
“It is actually going to be four and a half percent October of this year, which is more than half of the original request, eight and a half percent.”
Reporter
Has it been tied to anything at all, the pension reform?
Cordel Hyde
“It is not tied in the sense that you have to do this to get this, but it is aboutensuring we continue that work. We have three committees, cost saving committee, revenue enhancement and pension reform. Those committees have been working. That work continues. It is about ensuring we continue that work in earnest.”
Paul Lopez
“Is the government now pushing beyond the margins of what it can afford?
Cordel Hyde
“This is it. We are hoping the membership will see that we have delivered on their demands, that we are doing our best.”
And while the government laid its latest offer on the table, how are the unions feeling about it? We caught up with Public Service Union President Dean Flowers, who says today’s talks were held in good faith and described the meeting as cordial. But the big question remains—will his members accept the deal? Flowers weighed in on that, and what comes next for the union.
Dean Flowers
Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union
“As usual we want to acknowledge the continued good faith discussions by the government team. They are not here in their entirety but they had adequate representation. As much as we can we maintain good faith and cordial discussion.”
Reporter
Were you amenable to accept the counterproposal?
Dean Flowers
“I only have one vote in the PSU. So it is not whether I am amendable, it is whether my members are amendable. The government did what it had committed to. It submitted another counter proposal. I am hoping that matter will be proposed to my membership at the very earliest.”
Reporter
The DPM says this one is not tied to anything. They have upped it from four to four point five percent. So you think your membership will accept that?
Dean Flowers
“I don’t know what my membership will accept. The context has to be discussed. The context. If that is what the DPM said then he would have told you whether it would have been a straight black and white proposal. It is an improved proposal and one that we will present to our membership and we hope that we can break the impasse. We were reminded today, with the presence of the Minister Labor who came as a observer that the twenty-one days expires on Sunday. So between now and Sunday we will find a solution.”
And it’s not just the Public Service Union weighing the government’s latest offer—teachers are also heading back to the drawing board. Belize National Teachers Union President Nadia Caliz says the 4.5% proposal is a step forward and an improvement from where things stood. But here’s the question: could accepting it cost the unions the public support they’ve worked so hard to build? Caliz doesn’t think so. She says the upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement discussions will help address those concerns. So, what’s next for the teachers? That decision now rests with the membership.
Nadia Caliz
Nadia Caliz, President, BNTU
“They are giving us eight point five, whether it is four point five and four, because you said that is what he said to you. I though we agreed that is we were going to take it to our membership and then go from there. Now that the government side went ahead to put it out there publicly that is a decision for our members to decide. I am just like brother Dean, we only had one vote. What we do know is that we asked the government’s side if this will result in new taxes. One of the things they said to us, that is not a part of their discussion at all. They are offering to us four point five and four because they are looking at what they can afford at this time since they did not budget for it.”
Paul Lopez
“But, four point five is only a point five percent increase. I am stuck on it because you did not accept one percent increase with the four percent.”
Nadia Caliz
“You have to remember when they gave us four they wanted to give us the next four in two moreyears, now we are looking at a two year proposal, one year four point five and the other year four.”
Paul Lopez
“How concerned are you that if you take this proposal you lose support from the general public?”
Nadia Caliz
“This is what I want to say to the public, the other issues are under the CBA. We cant run away from that. The CBA is not something you snap your fingers and address. The public needs to understand that. While we acknowledge the support and thank them for the support and ask for their continued support, the decision of the four point five and four is up to the unions and if they accept that you don’t hate them or go against them for that, id they accept that. I nuh want the public think that if my membership decides that this is what they want that they are selling out. Nobody is selling out. There is too many issues to address and we have to address them.”
This evening, Minister of Education Oscar Requena spoke with News Five by phone. During our conversation, Requena admitted that he was not aware of the five-point demands made by the Belize National Teachers Union, which includes the 8.5% salary increase sought by its members. He mentioned that this request would need to be considered by the Ministry of Finance and Cabinet.
On the phone: Oscar Requena
On the phone: Oscar Requena, Minister of Education
“The Ministry of Education has had a very respectful and cordial relationship with the BNTU. We certainly see each other as partners in education and certainly this means that as partners in education, from time to time, we have to sit down, we have to dialogue, we have to collaborate with each other and really build a respectful and trustworthy relationship. With regards to the demands, honestly, I cannot speak to that because as far as I know, I have not seen or received any official communications from BNTU in relation to what their demands are.”
Isani Cayetano
“I acknowledge the fact that you have not seen or heard the demands made by the BNTU, but they are essentially asking for an 8.5% salary increase. The government is yet to put together a budget and present it. Would this be a consideration, and I know this would perhaps come from the Ministry of Finance, but would this be something that you guys would entertain as something to look at?”
Oscar Requena
“Listen, I cannot speak to something that I have not seen, but whatever the request is from the BNTU, this is a matter that has to go to the Ministry of Finance and Cabinet for consideration.”
The Government of Belize has started paying the overdue increments owed to teachers, but the battle isn’t over yet. On Friday, Belize National Teacher’s Union President Nadia Caliz mentioned that most teachers still hadn’t received their payments, even though the school managers had the funds. On Monday, CEO of the Ministry of Education Dian Maheia explained that the money is still being distributed and should reach the teachers soon. We asked Caliz for an update on the rollout of these payments. Here’s what she had to say.
On the Phone: Nadia Caliz
On the Phone: Caliz, President, B.N.T.U.
“ For the B.N.T.U. right now, we need to gather our own data. And by getting our own data, then we’ll be able to see that what the ministry said is correct. What I do know from our end is that some of our teachers are telling us that they have not received increments. Others are saying that they’re still waiting. But what I find very interesting is the conversation I’ve been having with some managers. They were first asked by the ministry to submit a list of names of the persons who were due increments. And they submitted those names. The list was sent back to them with either those names, some being taken up, and additional names being added on. Funding was then sent for those names. What some managers are also telling me is that they have the funds. The challenge that they are having is actually getting it to the teachers. What we from the B.N.T.U. are concerned about The mechanism being used to pay these teachers because they have to have documentation to show that these teachers receive these monies and that there’s a signature there to prove that while the ministry said that the managers will have to provide them with that same info, we want to make certain that it is actually our teachers who are receiving these funds and nobody else. At the end of the day, we our mandate is that teachers be paid their allowances and their increments. I also want to use this platform to tell my teachers, if you have not received the increment, you have not received the allowances, please go to your management so that they have a record of that. If you’re owed for years, go to your management so that they have a record of that. So after going to your management, I am going to encourage you to find all the education centers countrywide. There is one in every district and you also register the fact that you have not received your increments and you have not received your allowances because they need to have a true picture of who these teachers are just saying that it has been settled and it’s not with the management. Do they have a true picture? That’s the question. That is not really enough for us. We need numbers. The same way we’re going to be looking at our numbers, we need numbers from them as well. That is what we want.”
