Last week we showed you how the unions representing teachers and public officers sent a clear message rejecting the proposed 10% pay cut and increment freeze to close the gap on a budget deficit of half-a-billion dollars.
The government says that if the unions agreed to their proposal, they would be able to save 80 million dollars, but the teachers and public officers say that would too much to ask. Well, one Belizean - seemingly out of nowhere - has decided to share his views on the ongoing disagreement on salaries.
He's Delroy Herrera, who rose to national prominence as a whistleblower back in 2011 when he came forward with documents that purported to show irregularities related to the KHMH's procurement practices. He's since dabbled in politics - one even running on a defeated city council slate - and moved on to earn a living in the hard hit cruise tourism industry.
Herrera claims to have consulted regular Belizeans who have been directly impacted by the economic crisis brought on by the pandemic. And, he thinks that while the Government and the unions are disagreeing on the topic of money, the views of the vast numbers of unemployed Belizeans continue to go unheard. So, that's supposedly why he called a press conference today. And - not surprisingly - a significant portion of his talking points was favorable to the PUP government. Here's what he had to say at his press conference:
Delroy Herrera - Speak on Layman's Platform
"While the government is on one side and the unions are on the other side, today, we say that we are here for the many forgotten, more than 60,000 unemployed Belizeans who watch as the elephant and the tigers fight to control the dinner table. The job loss started from the beginning of the pandemic. As a tour guide, our salary was cut, 100% within a day, bam, no negotiation, no questions asked."
"We consider it very selfish of the unions to use their might and muscle to strong-arm the government to avoid a little pain after years of plenty - and I'm relatively speaking. The bottom line is that we cannot kick the pan down the road anymore. A pay cut of 10%, 5%, or even 2%, as the Commissioner of Police said, is better than retrenchment."
"The Cosmetic changes the unions are proposing seem to deflect away from the responsibilities of government, but this is no blame game. It is time to find an amicable solution. What is a little pain now, and in maybe 2 years or 3 years, people are rehired, and working again, and the economy is going back into good standing?"
"To demand that the Government look into its own fiscal performance is ungrateful, to say the least when the Public Service Commission sticks up for public officers who have mismanaged the public finance. For teachers, who have failed to engineer any turn-around in scores for a PSE, the CXC, and other examinations. We suggested to you, the layman suggest to you, that you get your house in order, as well as the government should, because no one is perfect. Additionally, contrary to the recommendation of the IMF to remove more items from the zero-rated category for General Sales Tax, to increase taxes on tourism and businesses, the government is foregoing tax increases to spare any additional hurt. This is an important sacrifice that is being overlooked. Even though gas prices have been going up constantly since the year began, the government has not increased its share amount on that."
After he delivered his prepared remarks, the press challenged him on the pro-government message, and here's how he responded:
Reporter
'I need to ask what is the motivation behind the stand you're taking. It seems as if though there is some political undertone. Forgive me if that's not the case, but based on what you said it sort of comes off that way."
Delroy Herrera - Speak on Layman's Platform
"You know I am a man of the streets and when I say man of the streets I am always in these different communities and so forth playing dominoes, working out in the gym and I have heard people talking and no one is listening to them and no one is there to voice what they are saying and being someone who went from the KHMH saga into the tourism saga I mean I literally know tour guides who are punishing and there is no one talking of helping and stuff like that. There are people who are genuinely taking lick and there are people who are playing possum in taking lick, so I have no political stance in what I am saying. Forgive me if that's how it came across to you, but I have no political stand in what I am saying. I am talking on the layman's perspective."
Reporter
"You somewhat sounded pro-government."
Delroy Herrera - Speak on Layman's Platform
"I am always for the government, but whether its UDP or PUP, but there comes a point in time where you got to call a spade a spade."
Of important note is that Herrera's wife is a career educator, and at this time, she is acting as the breadwinner in their home, while he remains out of work in the tourism sector. The press challenged him on the possibility that if the pay cut is implemented, his household will be further impacted. He said that while that is true, everyone must make a sacrifice for the long-term recovery of the country's finances.
