Unions Unyielding in Their Call For Equity

Today, teachers across Belize once again marched through the streets, sending a clear message to the government: they’re not backing down in their fight for fair wages. The protest is part of a larger movement that began in April, when the Belize National Teachers’ Union, along with the Public Service Union and the Association of Public Service Senior Managers, called for an eight-point-five percent salary increase for public officers and educators. But the government turned down the request, arguing that the country’s wage bill is already too high. Still, the unions aren’t giving up. They say this is about standing up for what’s right and they’re determined to keep pushing until their voices are heard. In tonight’s Five-Point Breakdown, we’ll take a closer look at what’s fueling the unions’ frustration and why they believe now is the time for action. News Five’s Britney Gordon has the full story.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

The fight is far from over. For nearly two months, the Public Service Union of Belize, the Belize National Teachers’ Union, and the Association of Public Service Senior Managers have been united in their demand for an 8.5% salary increase for public officers and teachers. From peaceful protests and organized sickouts to bold road blockades, the unions have shown they’re willing to take their fight to the streets, and they’re not backing down. According to Dean Flowers, President of the Public Service Union, this isn’t just about numbers on a paycheck. It’s about fairness, dignity, and long-overdue recognition for the people who keep the country running.

 

Workers Demand Fairer Wages

 

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union

“ The government came to us in 2020. We acceded an increment. We also gave up on some allowances because several officers were impacted where the allowances were concerned, where the gratuities was concerned and so on. In 2021 when the Briceno administration took over in November of 2020 when there was election, they also came to us and they said, you know what we need to do? We need to take some additional last thirty measures. Okay, that now included not only, the continued freezing of increments, but they also went one step further to say, we need to also cut your salaries. And so they introduced a ten percent cut.”

 

The government offered a 3% raise in response to union demands for fairer wages, but unions quickly rejected it, calling for a more serious commitment. Their frustration grew after it was revealed that government CEOs and the Cabinet Secretary received a 15% salary increase, boosting their pay from $76,000 to $88,000 a year. Nadia Caliz, President of the Belize National Teachers’ Union, said that raise was a tipping point, one that made it clear teachers and public officers could no longer stay silent.

 

What Triggered The Unions’ Call To Action

 

Nadia Caliz, President, Belize National Teachers Union

“And when are telling me and this country that our teachers are holding the students hostage, you have been holding these students hostage. You have not provided what you needed to provide for them. You have not provided what you needed to provide for them. Where we applaud the fact that some of them can now get a meal and buying. Teachers no longer have to take out their pocket to give them that, my teachers are suffering because they have been doing a part of your responsibility as a government providing those resources, preparing those schools, and all of those things. So, we, at the BNTU, we don’t take that lightly, and I’ll show you another thing. You are willing to give up millions with the Key Chapel Project. Millions”

 

Healthcare workers at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital are joining the call for fair treatment. The KHMHA Workers Union, led by President Andrew Baird, is demanding that the government provide pensions for eligible employees, specifically those hired since 2000, who were promised benefits that never materialized. While a retirement package was introduced in 2017 for new hires, long-serving staff were left out. Baird says it’s time for equal consideration, especially given the daily financial struggles many healthcare workers face.

 

Employees Pay Out of Pocket to Do Their Jobs

 

Andrew Baird, President, KHMHA Workers Union

“What you’re not hearing from many nurses or doctors when there’s a shortage of supplies and equipment in KHMH, we take money out of our pocket as well to buy tapes, we have to buy our own stethoscopes, our own blood pressure equipment and the list goes on. Sometimes doctors have to bring their own operating kits to the institution because Karl Heusner does not have any, but we do not base our plight ongoing into our pocket. We are basing our plight on what we deserve and what should be rightfully us, but we do make those sacrifices.”

 

The Government of Belize recently partnered with the Inter-American Development Bank to review and modernize how public service workers are paid. The 2024 draft report, led by Senior Consultant Malcolm Green, flagged major issues in how employment and payroll are managed. The report urges the government to reform salary and pension systems to ensure fair pay, while also recommending better budgeting and control to manage employment costs effectively.

 

Government Advised to Make Equitable Pay a Reality

 

Dean Flowers

“The issue here is not, may not necessarily be that we don’t have money, but we have a spending problem. We have an unchecked spending problem, we have an accountability problem. We’re not giving proper accounts of how we’re spending. We’re not giving proper, proper account of how we are giving away concessions. Are we quantifying those concessions and really appreciating the dollar value that we’re losing as a result of those concessions versus the investment that is being made.”

 

The negotiation between the unions and the government is ongoing. They have made it clear that until they feel that they have been fairly compensated for the services they provide, the government will hear their cries.

 

Unions Tell Government To “Get It Right”

 

Nadia Caliz

“Every single where somebody stop you and give you their story. What is happening in the workplace, and most of these are government entities and I didn’t realize so many people were suffering in this country. So many and you know, they just need to get it right.”

 

According to Prime Minister John Briceño, Belize’s current national wage bill, stands at around seven hundred million dollars, accounting for nearly fifty cents of every dollar in the national budget.  Britney Gordon for News Five.