In 2005, the Belize National Teacher's Union took the Ministry of Education and school management to court claming that the Ministry of Education and school managements were going to wrongfully deduct from their salaries for missing work due to strike action.
At the time, the BNTU's attorney Lois Young Barrow got an injunction blocking that deduction.
But tonight, that is no more because the Chief Justice today issued a judgement saying that by the education rules, the government is permitted to deduct from the salaries of striking teachers.
The Chief Justice did find that there was a legitimate trade dispute when the strike took place. More than that, the Chief Justice said the unions had a right to protest in view of that legitimate dispute.
But still, the Ministry and school managements also have the right to make that salary deduction, and now it's left to be seen if the unions will go to the government to ask it to apply its discretion and not make those pay cuts dating back to 2005.
Remember that the Ministry has also ordered pay cuts for a single day in March of this year when many teachers in Belize City and Belmopan and absented themselves to protest in Belmopan.