Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde has officially communicated the Government of Belize’s latest adjustment proposal to the Joint Union Negotiating Team (JUNT) in writing.
The letter details a timeline for the 8.5% salary cut and frozen increments that have been at the centre of public sector negotiations for weeks.
In a letter dated June 26, 2025, addressed to the presidents of the Public Service Union (Dean Flowers), the Belize National Teachers Union (Nadia Caliz), and the Association of Public Service Senior Managers (Sharon Fraser), Hyde stressed the importance of cooperation and unity.
“It’s been a process of back and forth for a bit over a month now, and we are hopeful that we can reach some level of agreement sooner rather than later,” Hyde wrote. “We are partners. We must be.”
The letter confirms Cabinet’s agreement to restore the 8.5% salary cut over two years, along with the reinstatement of two frozen increments. The proposed schedule is as follows:
4.5 percent – Effective October 1, 2025
First Frozen Increment – Effective April 1, 2026
4 percent – Effective October 1, 2026
Second Frozen Increment – Effective April 1, 2027
Hyde added, “A lot has been said on either side, but the business of governance and nation-building requires all hands on deck — working in unison, not dissonance.”
“We look forward to completing the work of the joint committees – complete with mutual agreement on measures related to pension reform, cost savings and revenue enhancement,” Hyde wrote.
Finally, the DPM said, “A lot of fine work has been done so far. Let the work continue…”
The unions are expected to bring this offer to their general membership for review and feedback ahead of a planned demonstration this Saturday. Whether the written proposal is enough to call off that protest remains to be seen.