And while that difference of opinion over the resumption of classes is the latest disagreement between the government and the unions, we note that there appears to be a brewing dispute between the Briceno administration and the joint unions.
Several weeks ago, you heard the President of the Public Service Union complain bitterly that the government's negotiating team isn't engaging them with the same level of enthusiasm as back in 2020 when they cut the salaries of teachers and public officers by 10%.
Well, the BNTU President said the same thing today. Here are those comments in the context of a recently glowing assessment from the IMF on Belize's economic recovery:
Senator Elena Smith, National President, BNTU
"If we are getting those great reviews, if you are a student who is getting A, A, A all along, then obviously you are an intelligent child and so you would not expect anything other than getting brilliance from you. So in the same way we are expecting that this government should be able to do a lot with that review that they have received. Unfortunately, as you said, we should have been given these updates regularly and we have not been receiving those. We have written to the Prime Minister more than once to request that the joint unions re-engage so that we could finalize the discussions that relates to the increments and those other matters. We are still awaiting a date from the Prime Minister. As a matter of fact, we are still awaiting him to acknowledge that we wrote to him. He has not even had the courtesy to respond and say unions, I received your letter, I am busy right now or I am setting this date or I can do it in 3 months - nothing, except the CEO writing to say that as soon as they have a date they will get back to us. We wrote the PM, we expect a response from him."
"Our teachers at this point in time they are really and truly looking forward to no other response other than your increments will be reinstated and you are going to be compensated."
"If we know that we have been having these discussions and we have made some agreements, because I want for you all to recall that the government, the Prime Minister sent out to the entire nation a list of agreements, not we wanted, but what they said that they were going to do. So if you sent us a list of agreements, a list of undertakings, what does that mean? that we undertake to do these things and then suddenly you are hearing that those were not agreements. That's what we told you. Then it means that we have not concluded our discussions and so if the unions are saying that we need to continue these discussions. Our members are asking for these things to be finalized, then you should put that as a priority, because when it was time for you to dock our salaries, to freeze our increments, it was priority to meet with us. So why now can't it be priority to say we are doing well, we have made good strides and so we can now put back your increments in place."
"For our teachers that is really and truly ignoring the union. They take it to mean that this is the government's MO that they have no care any at all, they have no empathy for our teachers, especially as it relates to this matter and they would drag their feet and do when they feel like doing it."
