We said we'd have the union's formal response to government tomorrow. But while we wait on that formal announcement, our team is just back from its stakeout outside the site of the meeting which is being held at PSU's office in Belize City. Keith Swift spoke to Dylan Reneau and he didn't seem too receptive to GOB's response.
Dylan Reneau, PSU President
"I got a copy of it just a few minutes ago and I read it through and my initial response to it is I realize that this government is playing hardball, they are very disrespectful, and they basically evaded a lot of the serious questions that needed to be answered when it came to the taxes and they still hold firm to their position on the salary increase which is certainly not acceptable."
Alfonso Noble,
Dylan they are claiming that your requests are not centered in any one point, they are here there and everywhere, they are scattered.
Dylan Reneau,
"Well initially when we were asked for proposals we put up that report which was sent, which was quite broad in a sense. We took to specify those, even to quantify the figures to this government, and now they are saying we are here there and everywhere. They have been doing a good job of misinforming the general public and we have to, and its hard to do it because they have the means, and they are always on the air, but its hard to basically put in a nutshell what we have been going through as unions with this government; they are very disrespectful."
Keith Swift,
So what does the union do now?
Dylan Reneau,
"Well yesterday when we met with our membership, we had a special AGM at the St. Mary's Hall, and our membership reaffirmed our position that we will continue the strike action and they have called on all essential services to shutdown and basically we are going to fulfill that plan. This government cannot work without the public service and although they have some political appointed officers in this public service, this public service will be shutdown. I know I have the support of all my members and other public officers."
Keith Swift,
One of the responses from government was that, for example when it comes to the land taxes, they are already trying to collect as much as they can.
Dylan Reneau,
"They also explained to us that there is a loophole where they can give land in lieu of cash. Man this government, looking at the proposal, if they had budgeted $18 million last year and they only collected $4 million, if it was income tax and they had something like that it would have been outrageous. But because it is land tax and it is the rich land owners they can do as they please, they have the loopholes to bypass the system. We are sick and tired of the way this country is being run and certainly this government has been given a mandate: reform, resign, or be removed. I think we are at the third aspect of those proposals, to be removed, because they are not serious about change in this country."
Keith Swift,
Mr. Fuentes what is BNTU's response to these counter-proposals?
Anthony Fuentes, BNTU President
"The BNTU is a affiliate of the NTUCB and based on the meeting that we are having, the strike will continue. The BNTU had rallies throughout our 10 branches today and the response from our general membership is that they are in support of the strike action to continue so the strike action will continue."
Keith Swift,
Government asked that in good faith for teachers to return to the classroom.
Anthony Fuentes,
"The BNTU was the one that asked our teachers to go on strike. We are the ones that will ask our teachers to go back into the classroom. Government, even if they ask our teachers to go back and the union doesn't agree with that, we won't send back our teachers into the classroom."
So to restate, the PSU's position on government's response is an outright rejection. The BNTU's position is that they are in line with the NTUCB which has initially rejected the proposals. And the BNTU has flatly rejected government's request that they return to school.
