Unions Yet to Decide as Government Proposes 14% Salary Adjustment

Tensions continue to mount across Belize as the nation anxiously awaits a response from the Joint Union Negotiating Team (JUNT) regarding the government’s latest salary proposal. With the possibility of a nationwide strike looming, all eyes are on the Joint Union Negotiation Team, which has yet to issue a formal decision on whether to accept or reject the offer.

Last week, the Briceño Administration submitted its Cabinet-approved proposal to the unions, outlining what it describes as a significant compensation package for teachers and public servants.

Minister of Public Service Henry Charles Usher addressed the matter during this morning’s budget debate. “In reference to the salary adjustment, the government is proposing a 3% adjustment in October 2025 and an additional increment at the start of fiscal year 2026–2027 to make up for the frozen increment in 2021. In addition, the remaining 5.5% and a second frozen increment will be adjusted within a maximum three-year period.”

Minister Usher said that each increment is valued between 2.5% and 3%, noting, “So the actual figure is not 8.5%, but over three years, it’ll be closer to 14.5% in this three-year period.”