At the top of the news, we showed you what the President of the Belize National Teachers Union had to say about her membership's resistance to the pay cut that the Briceno Government is suggesting.
They're entering a period of confrontation with Belmopan at this time, but in the past, Briceno and the Teachers have been allies. Tonight, we take a look back at how the dynamic between the two has changed.
Daniel Ortiz has that report:
Back when he was Opposition Leader, John Briceno marched in solidarity with the Teachers Union. He even spoke in support of the cause being championed by the educators.
File: May 13, 2016
Hon. John Briceno - Leader of Opposition
"We feel that we should stand up with anybody, any group, any organization that is prepared to stand up for Belize. The teachers decided to take their day off on Teacher's Day to stand up and to bring awareness about the issues that we are facing."
A few months later, he once again found common cause with the unions, especially the BNTU, who were demanding that the Barrow Government sign on to the United Nation Convention Against Corruption.
File: October 7, 2016
Hon. John Briceno - Leader of the Opposition
"We know that the only reason that they have said they are going to sign it because they were afraid that the private sector, the chamber, and the Belize Business Bureau were at the point of saying we are going to shut down businesses until the government does something. So again it's a delayed tactic to say okay
we're going to sign it on the 9th of December. We don't know, all they want to do is get the teachers back to the schools, want to make sure that the Chamber and the Belize Business Bureau does not strike on them."
But now that he is Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, he's the target of their ire. The teachers are saying that they will not accept his Government's proposed pay cut.
File: March 10, 2021
Denise Flores Henry, Leader, Stann Creek Teachers
"The message for today was simply to say: GOB your first proposal is not accepted."
Ifasina Efunyemi - Teacher, Stann Creek Ecumenical Junior College
"I have to pay my rent, I have to pay all my utilities, everything. And the expenses that I have incurred since COVID started, in terms of my teaching, in terms of ensuring that the software is installed and taking care of my laptop and everything so I can teach at the best of my capacity. All of that has been at my expense. So it isn't fair for the government to say to me now take 10% cut."
And now, their one-time sympathizer has turned union antagonizer:
File: March 11, 2021
Hon. John Briceno - Prime Minister
"Only the teachers and the public service have not done any kind of sacrifice. Their salaries have been coming in every month."
Hon. Elena Smith - President, BNTU
"We give so much out of our pockets to do our jobs, so much."
Briceno has publicly identified with the struggle of the teachers by pointing out that his mother was a career educator, as is his wife.
Two Prime Ministerial Spouses Meet
The PM's wife has gone from educator to the Special Envoy for Families and Children. Yesterday, she and the Minister of Education visited the Inspiration Center to take a tour - and they were joined by Rossana Briceno's predecessor, chair of the centre, Kim Simplis Barrow.
They received background information on the history of the centre and learnt about the current activities and programs being planned for the future. The non governmental organization is planning to continue to reach out to children across the country and to expand towards teletherapy.
No COVID Deaths
The Ministry of Health is reporting tonight that there are no COVID-related deaths to report, for Friday, March 12th.
But, there are 12 newly confirmed COVID-patients and 15 new recoveries. Here's a more in-depth breakdown from Technical Advisor Kathleen Azueta Cho:
Will The Curve Fully Flatten
And we asked the health minister to comment on these low numbers. He said the flattening of the curve is a collaborative effort. But even while the public and the ministry continue to do their part, according to him, the number of active cases are unlikely to reach zero.
Hon Michel Chebat, Minister of Health
"I think yesterday we had four new positive cases, over the last two or three weeks we have been seeing numbers below the double digits, which has been excellent for us. It shows that there has been a great effectiveness in the approach taken by the ministry of health and wellness, it shows that the public understand the seriousness and they are cooperating and so I think what we are seeing is a combination of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the healthcare workers, and the public working together to flatten this curve."
Courtney Menzies:
"We have 65 active cases right now, we're on the way t zero, we're so close, much closer than we were just a few months ago, is there an estimated timeline to when you think we will reach zero and what will we do then to make sure it stays at zero?"
Hon Michel Chebat, Minister of Health
"Unfortunately I don't think we're ever gonna reach at zero, all the literature we've been seeing all the signs we've been seeing is that COVID will be with us for a long time but the goal is too try to keep it at a minimum as possible and so I don't think we're gonna reach zero, honestly."
Chebat also said the ministry is concerned about the type of behavior that they anticipate will contribute to a spike during the Easter Holiday. He also added while the government has not decided to extend the current regulations in place, that the public should not be surprised if that is done following the expiration date on April 3.
The Jab For Sanitation Workers
And the sanitation workers are hoping they don't join the numbers of the daily new cases before they get the vaccine - that's IF they get it. If you look at the vaccine roll out phases, sanitation workers seemed to have been left out. This is a major issue since they are out everyday dealing with the public's refuse and are susceptible to the virus. Well, the health minister said, rest assured, everyone will be able to get the shot in due time.
Hon Michel Chebat, Minister of Health
"This phase out and the categories that you see was designed by a group of technical people who sat down and saw the entire panorama and decided these are the people who should go first and second and so forth. So we're just relying on the technical advice from the people who sat down and put these phases together. I want to assure the sanitation workers that in due course everybody will be vaccinated."
Thrips Taking A Toll
A few weeks ago, we told you how black eyed beans crops had been affected by the infestation of a pest called "Thrips."
Tonight, BAHA says that this insect, which attacks beans and other legumes, has been detected in all bean-producing areas of Belize. It is found mainly in flowers, buds, and leaves, and it causes stunted growth deformation of the flowers and growing tips. Its main hosts include red kidney beans and black eye peas, but it is known to affect other hosts such as soybean, pigeon pea, lima bean, peanuts other legumes, and even potatoes. BAHA warns that if this pest is not adequately managed, the damage to crops can reach up to 100%, as has been reported in some cases.
An ongoing survey is taking place to determine the distribution and population densities, as well as the damage it has already caused. All producers of legumes, peanuts, and potatoes are advised to contact BAHA or the Ministry of Agriculture if you suspect that this pest is affecting your crop.
