But the Prime Minister had an interesting way of framing it today - both in his budget speech and his interview. He said the public officers work for the people, not government per se - and if they walk away from their jobs - it's regular folks expecting government services who'll be hurt the most. Here's how he put it:
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"At the end of the day the government employees they work for the people of this country and if they believe that they can just walk away from their jobs then that's their right, but we are going to ensure and we are going to do everything possible to keep the government working."
Reporter
"Does that mean that offices started to become empty because public officers are out on the streets protesting that you will bring in people to replace them."
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I never said any such thing. What I am saying is that we are going to ensure that the services are continued to be offered to the Belizean people."
Reporter
"Wouldn't it be that when they go on industrial action you have to concede certain things any way?"
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"What can we concede, we have done everything that we can to try to get them around the table. We cut your salary by ten percent, then work ten percent less hours which was 4 hours and they say well we don't want 4, we want 5 and we gave it to them. We have done everything possible to be able to get them to accept the 10 percent and there is only so much that we can do."
Reporter
"There are many examples of unnecessary spending, you are hiring new people, buying and spending foreign exchange that we don't even have and the unions are seeing this and saying you are two-face."
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"In a billion dollar I am sure you could find something that should not go anywhere the way you would not want it to go. We are doing our best to keep things tight and I am sure that you can find something wrong. The point of the matter is that we have been tightening the expenditures and trying to control as best as we possibly can."
