SICK OUT! Teachers Reject Briceño Administration’s Proposal

Teachers across Belize are staging a nationwide sick-out today. They are calling in sick for various personal reasons. One teacher sent a message to his school, saying, “I will not be able to make it to school today due to illness with the flu.”

This is a coordinated response to the government’s proposed 3% salary adjustment, a proposal that has been overwhelmingly rejected by the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU).

One school told parents, “The majority of our staff have informed me that they will not be coming today. Please note that if you send your child to school, we lack the capacity to adequately supervise him/her.”

Another, Sacred Heart College posted on Facebook, “SHC is unable to have face-to-face classes due to a large number of teachers being out on sick leave.”

On Tuesday night, BNTU President Nadia Caliz confirmed the union’s stance, stating, “The government offered us a 3% salary adjustment commencing 1st of October 2025. The BNTU membership rejected that offer. 1,532 members voted no, while 438 members voted yes.”

Caliz said that teachers are demanding the full reinstatement of frozen salary increments that were withheld during the COVID-19 pandemic, not partial offers. “The reinstatement simply means that you deserve nothing but what is rightfully yours. That’s not something for us to be negotiating,” she said.

Responding to government claims that teachers would receive up to a 14.5% adjustment over three years, including deferred and future increments, Caliz dismissed it as “propaganda” and a “gimmick”. She explained, “You have worked for that. Not every single member will get an increment. You have to earn that. There’s a criteria.”

Caliz concluded with a hint of today’s industrial action: “I’m very tired; I’m not feeling well… If I’m still not well tomorrow, I have to ensure that I see a doctor. Good night.”