And while continued industrial action is how the Public Service Union chose to remind the public and the government that they cannot support the public service wage cut and increment freeze, the Police Association selected a less confrontational method.
A letter, which was drafted by the Association's Central Board, has been in circulation for a few days now. In it, the leadership of the Association makes it clear to the Briceno Government that its 2,000 or so members will suffer financially if and when the wage cut is implemented. Now, viewers may understand the challenges the Police Association faces while trying to represent the best interest of its members. As members of a disciplined force, police officers are not allowed to participate in traditional forms of protest. They are also not allowed to join unions.
In fact, the Police Act specifically states, quote, "...It shall not be lawful for a member of the Department to become a member of any trade union, or any association having for its objects, or one of its objects, to control or influence the pay, pensions, or conditions of service of the Police Department, and any member of the Department who contravenes this provision shall be disqualified from continuing to be a member of the Department..." End quote.
But the association is responsible for bringing welfare matters to the attention of the Police Commissioner and the government of the day. And that's specifically what they did when they penned a letter last week to the Minister of Home Affairs.
The letter is dated March 15th, and the Police Association opens by noting that they are engaging in a countrywide tour to consult its membership.
The Association says, quote, "During those consultations, many issues affecting our membership have been brought to the attention of the central board… address these issues amicably. One issue of concern that has surfaced recently is the proposed 10% salary cut and hold on increments for public servants for three (3) years. The predominant sentiment of the membership is that a 10% salary cut and hold on increments for (3) three years will cause grave financial strain, may cause hesitancy in the performance of duties and may kindle illicit and unethical behaviors within the rank and file of the Belize Police Department.
Most police officers budget their expenses base on their monthly income and a 10% cut will surely cause them severe financial setbacks. Members expressed that many of them pay both a house mortgage and a loan which on average is $1000, and utilities on an average of $300 per month. Police commute to work, purchase food, and travel daily which, on average, will cost them approximately $500 per month (this is estimated at $25 per day for 20 days a month). A police officer's monthly average salary is approximately $2000 per month. After a 10% cut, a police officer will receive $1800. The average monthly salary for police officers has been exhausted already without catering for family expenses such as groceries, medication, and basic essentials. While a $200 pay cut might look insignificant to some people, for the police officers who make an average salary, this will cause some serious financial stress. As is, most police officers engage in extra work known as "Special Duty" in order to meet their financial obligations.
The Police Association notes that from the perspective of its membership, cops are on the frontlines while they fight crimes and risk their lives on the job, especially with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. They note that managers and supervisors will have a very difficult task of keeping officers motivated if the salary cuts are implemented.
The letter says, quote, "...The main incentive that police officers look forward to annually as a reward for their hard work and dedication are their increments. If this is place on hold for three (3) years, further dissuasion will occur within the ranks and police officers will not perform their duties diligently and to the best of their abilities..."
And then, the Association notes the wage cut could cause officers to resort to illicit and unethical behaviors as people in authority. As viewers are aware, the department has had past struggles with allegations of corruption, and the Association is warning, that the wage cut could cause an upsurge in these types of cases.
This morning, the Chairman and Treasurer of the Association's Central Board called a press conference to acknowledge that the letter in the public domain is legit and that this is the membership's message to the Minister responsible for police is authentic. Here are the chairman's very careful comments on the topic:
Sgt. Jermaine Hyde - Central Board Chair, Police Association
"The letter that is circulating, that specific letter is not authentic, as you notice, it has no signature on that letter. But, the letter was drafted by us. A letter was drafted from us to the Minister of Home Affairs, and how did this letter come about? In early March of this year, we had a consultation with our members."
"Throughout the country of Belize. And basically, what we did in that letter is to outline what they were saying in respect to the 10% salary cut for the 3 years, and the increment freeze. So, the letter is basically a reflection of what - we are just letting their voices be heard of what they will be facing if we are given a 10% salary cut."
"There are a lot of things that are mentioned in that letter from the members that do speak a lot about what they will be facing with a 10% cut. But, one of the things that I believe that stands out when it comes to what the members were saying, during the consultation, is the fact that they will - especially for the police officers. The majority of our police officers do travel from point A to point B on a daily basis. And when they travel, that entails - they have to buy their meals for the day and everything. So, a lot of them were very open in saying that they believe that with a 10% cut, the money that they are using for traveling is the money that will be touched. So - and if you read the letter carefully - because I know that you guys went through that letter and dissected it and everything, we also invited the minister to have input in trying to ease some of those financial frustrations that police may be facing. I will go on the record in saying that the Minister and the Commissioner have begun a tour in trying to listen to some of these concerns."
"The association is not here - we're not here to make mischief. We're just basically the voice of our membership. As I said, we have policies and procedures, and the police cannot go out there and openly speak on certain aspects of what is happening internally. So then, we as the Association Central Board, myself, Mr. Mendoza and the 5 others, it is our duty to bring those concerns to the Commissioner, and in some cases - like this letter - to the Minister of Home Affairs."
The Association is made up of approximately 2,000 police officers who are below the rank of Sergeant.
