Another group of public officers that is publicly rejecting the proposed salary cut is the Nurses Association of Belize.
This afternoon, The Association sent out a press release which says quote, "…We stand in solidarity with the Public Service Union and other unions in saying NO TO SALARY CUT. …We request that all ridiculous allowances be abolished… As nurses, we have sacrificed 24/7 since the start of the pandemic, and we continue doing so up to date.
Many allowances have been removed from nurses and yet we continue to sacrifice for the well-being of our nation. As we speak, many nurses still have not been paid overtime hours owed to them for months now, yet we continue pushing, sacrificing self and family time to cover hours due to the extreme shortage of staff within our hospitals. We will no longer tolerate any more to be taken away from us."
This afternoon, the president of the association told us that his association's membership is making a clear stance:
Darrel Spencer, President, Nurses Association of Belize
"The nurses are in a position where we have sacrifice unlike what the prime minister has said. We have sacrifice so much, especially in the last year when it comes to the crisis of the covid19 pandemic and we have already gone through one increment freeze. To continue increment freeze is bad enough, but now they are suggesting a cut in salaries. While we agree that there has to be some cost saving measures for the government to carry on its work, we have to be professionally and sensible. I mean the government continues to waste millions of dollars in contracts, in things that are not very important. Yes, we want a good infrastructure. Yes, we want some of these things. But most of them has to be left until when we can afford them. So that's the position of the nurses. We are not saying that it is impossible for us to do a cut, but I would say that should be one of the last resort to even contemplate doing to help the country to save money."
Reporter
"The prime minister seems based on his public declaration to think that we are at the last resort."
Darrel Spencer, President, Nurses Association of Belize
"If a wage cut is so imperative to getting the debt under control, why has the government gone and issue another three and a half million dollars in new hires. Over the past year, they have kept on with all of these ridiculous allowances. So many new contracts in a time when you are telling me that you don't have money - you want to cut the wage bill but you are adding personals on contract. Could most of these high level position, could they not have been filled by people that's within the system? You're saying the system is overgrown, but you are still adding to the system. So make up your mind, do you have money to pay the people or don't you have money to pay the people? If I didn't have money to pay people then I wouldn't hire more. It doesn't make any sense. also when you put the wanton firings - in all honesty they have stayed away from the word retrenchment, but all the dismissals that have gone on since this new government has taken over - all those people have to be paid off, monies that you have to find."
As a peaceful form of protest, the nurses intend to wear yellow T-shirts, or their Nurses Association T-shirt every Friday until further notice.
