And while the unions have submitted their counterproposal and their recommendations, the BNTU drove the point home with a protest in the form of countrywide motorcades.
Simultaneously in all parts of the country this morning, hundreds of teachers made their firm opposition to the proposed 10% pay cut known.
Here in Belize City, the motorcade kicked off at Marion Jones Stadium at 9:30 this morning and went around the city, even passing the House of Culture where the ministers held their Cabinet meeting. Courtney Menzies followed the motorcade and has this story.
A wave of green washed across the entire country today. In Belize City itself, close to 100 cars filled with teachers paraded the streets. Those teachers took their classroom supplies of Bristol boards and markers but instead of making educational posters, they made neon signs which they plastered on their cars to make it clear: they firmly reject GOB's propose salary cut.
This is only the first move made by the BNTU as a form of protest that observes COVID protocols while still getting their message across.
But it seems government can't. Or won't budge, so we asked the union president, Elena Smith, how far they were willing to go.
Elena Smith, President, BNTU
"Do you know BNTU?"
Reporter:
"I'm not sure if this government knowns BNTU."
Elena Smith, President, BNTU
"Well I think they do know because in 2005 I think they were in power when we were out there so they should know us and what it is we stand for and how far we are willing to go."
But this is not all that the union has planned. For now, they are also asking teachers to continue wearing their green shirts to send a signal to the government - that signal is solidarity forever.
Elena Smith, President, BNTU
"Along with the wearing of the shirts, when teachers go to school we ask that teachers wear their shirts on the days that they report to school so that the public can have a visual that listen BNTU is standing up and we are slowing progressing as we get into our activities so it's a full step in terms of say coming out publicly but as matters progress as we hear from the government and as we get feedback from them then we will be then meeting again and looking what will be the next steps."
And they're not alone, since they have joined forced with the PSU and the APSSM. The joint unions will be holding a press conference tomorrow to announce the counterproposal they made to the government. For now, Smith was tightlipped so as to give the government a chance to review it.
But in the meantime, they came out in numbers in across the country. While Belize City had about 90 vehicles, Belmopan's motorcade was limited to 40. Meanwhile, Corozal saw 65, Orange Walk had about 70, Dangriga had 20, and San Pedro had about 10 golf carts.
Of course, BNTU is known to bring out much larger numbers, but COVID prevented this. Still, the president was sure they got their point across:
Elena Smith, President, BNTU
"Nothing that BNTU does is shallow, and so every activity that we do it is planned with a purpose behind it so we are aware that the government would not want to admit that this is not good for them but we know what we are doing will have some kind of impact on them. And like we said this is the first and we will proceed as we get information, as we hear from them we will move forward in terms of what we will be doing next."
Smith also had a few words for those who believed that teachers had not sacrificed anything at all.
Elena Smith, President, BNTU
"How much more can we ask of your government employees because as teachers and as public service officers, we have been sacrificing all of our career, not just right now during the pandemic, and even during the pandemic we were still working, we were not paid just because they wanted to pay us, we were being paid because we were working and with the salaries that we received we put that right back int the economy so it is unfair for people to be saying we have not sacrificed anything."
"I said before and I will say again, if the government now in power had done their job as opposition, we would not be where we are, and this goes for both governments. Because our people in opposition only speak when it is going to help but if it's for them to put things in place that they know will bite them, they won't stand up, so we will stand up for that because at the end of the day, it is our people who are going to be suffering for the things that our leaders do."
The president of the Belize branch of the union also weighed in, saying that it's not about the 10%, but rather the impact it will have on teachers who also assist their students financially.
Tanya Flowers Gillett, President, BNTU Belize Branch
"Teachers do not only take care of our families, we take care of other children in the classroom, I personally could tell you how many children I feed and send to school. And teachers talk about, they have to prepare their classrooms, presently they have to be paying for their own internet at home, getting their own devices to do online teaching. So these are some of the things that they are really complaining about."
"Trust me, teachers are working because being around a computer practically all day and then you have after 3 as well where you have to meet with students, teachers are working out here. We might not be in the classroom but we are working."
The joint press conference will be held at 10am tomorrow and we'll be there to cover it.
