Is the third time the charm? That's what the government of Belize is hoping after it presented its third proposal to the joint unions this morning. The first proposal saw 3 salary adjustments over 3 years - starting with 3% in the next fiscal year. The second was slightly different - 2 adjustments starting with 4% in October of this year. This latest proposal increases that by.5% but lowers the timeframe to 2 years. The two increments will also be unfrozen within those 2 years.
But will it be enough for the unions? Will their respective members accept this latest approach? Well, we'll have to wait and see, but today, our team camped outside of ITVET for the 5 hour meeting. We spoke to both sides after it finished and Courtney Menzies has this story.
At 10:00 this morning, the leaders of the joint unions stepped into a meeting room with the government's negotiating team. 5 hours later, they emerged with a new proposal for their salary adjustments.
This proposal is now 4.5% in the first instance - on October 1st - with the full 8.5% salary adjustment being implemented over 2 years.
It's the third proposal that the government has put on the table and the Deputy PM is hoping that it'll be the last. We asked both parties for their impression of today's meeting.
Cordel Hyde, Deputy Prime Minister:
"Intense, very serious. Very intense. But I think we got a lot done. I think we had a very productive meeting."
Courtney Menzies:
"What are the Cabinet deliberations like? I understand it even get intense in the Cabinet room when you're trying to draft a new proposal."
Cordel Hyde, Deputy Prime Minister:
"I can't tell you how it goes in the Cabinet but it's been a long journey that started May 13th. If you had asked me then whether it would take us this long for us to reach this point, I would have said no. but it's taken this long and I'm hoping that we're much much closer to the end than 6 weeks ago."
Courtney Menzies:
"What was the reaction of the union members when you put this latest proposal on the table?"
Cordel Hyde, Deputy Prime Minister:
"I think they were fair. I think we had a great discussion, I don't want to prejudice whatever they have to do in terms of going back to their membership. I always try to avoid that, I always prefer for them to take it back to their membership but I suffice to say that the government has committed to the 8.5% from the get go. We're committed to it absolutely along with the two frozen increments over the next two years and so there are other stuff but ultimately, hopefully, they are able to get their membership to support and we reach past this impasse so to speak."
Dean Flowers, President, PSU:
"As usual, we want to of course acknowledge the continued, the good faith discussion by the government team. They were not here in their entirety today but I think that they had adequate and good representation. And as usual, as much as we all possibly can, we maintain respect and good cordial conversation and so that would be my immediate reaction that it was a good meeting."
"it's an improved proposal and it's a proposal that we will present to our membership and we hope that we can break the impasse. We were reminded today with the presence of the Minister of Labor who came as an observer that the 21 days expires on Sunday so between now and Sunday, we need to find our solution."
Nadia Caliz, President, BNTU:
"For me, it's up to the membership because we are lobbying on their behalf, it's up to them. They did not budget for it so what they're doing is that they're presenting a plan that they believe they can afford during this time between this year and next year and it's up to them to decide if they want to accept that."
And now while the government anxiously waits, the unions will be going back to their membership to get a vote as soon as possible and will decide their next step forward.
A decision will be made ahead of Saturday's rally in Belize City, headed by the NTUCB.
