The Trade Union Congress's public resistance to the Prime Minister's new budget, it started on Friday January 7th, one week before it was presented. On that night PSU President Dylan Reneau called the budget exercise a charade and threatened a shutdown if the government didn't, "stop playing with public officers." That was one month ago, and so much national upheaval has occurred since that first stern warning shot was fired across the executive bow. Well today at the Central Bank, after 5 weeks that have seen national upheaval and some would even say a national transformation, the Trade Union Congress President Horris Patten and Prime Minister Said Musa finally signed unto an agreement. It's a deal that was hammered out late last night after talks had broken down yesterday evening. What's in the truce? Keith Swift found out.
Keith Swift Reporting,
It was a drawn out and protracted standoff, war even, between Government and the Unions. And after all the back and forth, all sides, Prime Minister Said Musa along with 5 Cabinet ministers and union leaders gathered in the central bank conference room. And though an agreement was signed, NTUCB President Horris Patten says there was a reason why no one was smiling.
Horris Patten, NTUCB President
"In the course of negotiations, any negotiation period, if both of us come out laughing something went wrong. If we both come out said, it seems that at the end of the day we have achieved something, and we were sad Mr. Prime Minister, please we were sad."
And what they achieved was a 10-point agreement which in short- promises to push back the taxes to March 1st during which time a budget working group will work to try and reconfigure the budget. That working group will also work on the tax system, look at government's revenues and expenses, and focus on the 'sin taxes' to be passed at the next House meeting. The working group will also conduct monthly reviews of the budget. In the ten point government also promises to accept the recommendations of last year's public service management audit. Government agreed to honor the promised salary increase to public officers and teachers as well as to refrain from firing or disciplining union members who participated in the protest action. Added to the list is the appointment of a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the DFC.
Said Musa, Prime Minister
"The agreement also calls for a commission of inquiry, together with a forensic auditor, to investigate the activities and transactions of the Development Finance Corporation, and ensures the appointment of a nominee of the NTUCB to the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Belize."
PM Musa called today historic saying his is a 'reformed government.'
Said Musa,
"Today we are witnessing another product of the militancy of trade unions, this one achieved with the cooperation of a government that has demonstrated its belief in participatory democracy and social justice. Our government has been engaged in a quiet revolution in the last few weeks, opening the budget process as never before in the history of our nation. This is a reformed government and it will go down in history as having steered through the most far-reaching reform measures in the history of our country. The unions and our other social partners are also playing a key role in this revolution."
NTUCB's Horris Patten says the ten points together chart a course to greater accountability.
Horris Patten,
"The TUC took up this situation where we talked about three things and it was those three things that was the platform in which we made this presentation. We talked about reform, we talked about no new taxes, and we talked about salaries for teachers and public officers. At the end of the day we have received so far reform…"
Dylan Reneau, PSU President
"Certainly on the tax issue we wanted to basically push back the taxes and get rid of them all together. But what we achieved on that was a rollback of at least one month. We have this working team that will look at all the factual financial data and make some recommendations. And we reserve the right to protest if this government does not honor or adhere to our recommendations."
Said Musa,
"The agreement is making it absolutely clear that yes we will have a good faith discussion between now and the end of February about whether there are to be any adjustment to the taxes but come March 1st the government reserves the right to implement the tax measures."
And as for all that's gone on, today again the Prime Minister openly and quite easily accepted responsibility.
Jules Vasquez,
"Do you accept responsibility for the industrial action and direct action that has occurred?"
Said Musa,
"I have said it long ago that I accept full responsibility for everything that my government has done. I've not made any hesitated (hesitation) to say that, as the Prime Minister I have to accept responsibility for the actions of my government."
"Things go awry for my many reasons Jules. Things go awry and we could spend one hour in my going into all things that have happened in terms of affecting the economy of Belize, I don't know if you want to hear that right now. But I mean you and the media, a very compliant media, has been trying to make out a case that it's all government mismanagement that has brought this about. I can make a case to show you how this very vulnerable economy has suffered greatly from many things that have happened; external, exogenous factors that have been affecting us. Part of the whole exercise where we are today is we accept (that) you want, there is a need for investigation, let there be an investigation. If there is any wrongdoing, the wrongdoers must be brought to justice; we accept all that."
And If you are wondering what's next, PSU President Dylan Reneau today hinted the battle didn't end with those names on the dotted lines.
Dylan Reneau,
"Its not a victory yet. We've just scored the first point and I like to use that because we've been playing a game. I've been accused of playing ping-pong and that's the first point of fifteen points so there are fourteen more points to gain."
As Reneau noted, the work has only just begun and that first meeting of the budget working group takes place on Monday.
