And while the PSU continues to engage in various forms of industrial action, their vice president says they've been facing victimization at work. While he didn't go into too much detail, he explained that they have been threatened with losing their jobs if they participate in any way - even by wearing their yellow shirts on Fridays. It's an issue that the PSU takes seriously since it's the public officers' right to protest. Dean Flowers told us today that they're taking down names of those obstructing those rights.
Dean Flowers, First Vice President, PSU
"I am pleased when I see the CEO in the ministry of public service, when I see the minister of education, when I see the Prime Minister getting on national radio and TV saying to public officers it is your right, the law gives you that right, you can exercise that right. I am pleased to see them make those pronouncements nationally and so I call on public officers to exercise their right, but I also need to condemn the same government operatives who are within departments currently discouraging and intimidating people from exercising their right. It is one thing to say to someone that you cannot use a yellow shirt on Friday because of x, y, z, but its another thing when you go to people and say to them you put on a yellow shirt, you will be the first one to be out of this door, you will be fired."
"We want to call out on those operatives and I have a list here because I have been given a list within the department of Agriculture and I won't call their names, but I want them to know in the same fashion that you're taking down names, we are taking down names, because if we have to exercise our right under the law, we will. The ministry of agriculture, the ministry of finance, the ministry of education, the northern regional hospital - we are aware of what you are doing. In Corozal as well hospital there. In Punta Gorda, there is an administrator there instilling fear and discouraging people and threatening them that they will be retrenched. We need to call these things out and I want to call on the Belizean people to understand that it is your mother, your father, your brother, sister, your cousin and maybe even your grandmother and grandfather that is being threatened by certain government operatives within these government departments. These people have a right to stand in solidarity with the union, to demand good governance for their children and for this country and these actions by these government operatives within these ministries must be condemned and must be called out. When the dust settles we will address these individuals by name."
