Union Senator Says 3 Percent Pay Raise Simply Not Enough

The Belize National Teachers’ Union has flatly rejected the government’s proposed three salary increase. On Thursday, teachers across the country made their voices heard, marching in green and waving signs with a clear message: “We matter.” Prime Minister John Briceño acknowledged their concerns but said the government simply doesn’t have the funds to offer more. Still, the protest gained support from labor leaders. At today’s Special Senate Sitting, Senator Glenfield Dennison of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize backed the teachers, saying their fight is justified.

 

Glenfield Dennison, N.T.U.C.B. Senator

“ I think it’s important that the people of Belize be made aware that this is a issue for each public servant, each teacher, each nurse, each doctor, everyone who works for the government, and some who work in the statuary bodies. It’s straight up cost of living question. People are finding it difficult to make ends meet, and they are very clear. They have done the math. They know that a three percent increase for them is simply not enough. Police officers who are just coming out of training school are telling me that, you know, they make five hundred and five dollars every two weeks. That’s ten  every month. Three percent  of that is negligible. That’s thirty dollars  and thirty cents, and so. It’s not making sense and it’s not making cents because we, the other talk about how much, hundreds of millions and so, but for each person they can do the much they have done, the much they’re telling you that, listen, I’m not asking for a lot that recruit, that recruit even at the eight point five percent. It’s only one hundred and thirteen more. They know what hundred and thirteen dollars  does for them, and that’s just a a junior recruit coming out of training school. But the situation is worse with people who are career public officers, who have mortgages, who have expenses. Their children are growing up, they’re going to high school now, and the money just isn’t enough. So to say that the teachers are being unreasonable, I think, is to not assess the humanness that each teacher is feeling right now.”