UBFSU Calls GOB to Table Over Salary Increase Demand

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, 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.