Tonight, after more than two months of back and forth with the joint unions, the three of them have accepted government's most recent offer. That's for the full 8.5% salary adjustment - with the first 4.5% given in October of this year, and the second 4% given in October, 2026. Government will also unfreeze two increments. Almost mirroring the PSU membership, 75% of the BNTU respondents voted "yes" to the proposal.
On the second question they were asked, quote "Are you still dedicated to participating in industrial action through the BNTU and NTUCB to push for systemic or constitutional changes related to income tax reform…anti-corruption measures, and stronger accountability…laws?" To that one 86% of the respondents said yes.
The memo notes, "It is therefore concluded from these results, that the majority of the BNTU membership have accepted the Government's third proposal and by this mandate we are obliged to inform both you and the Government of Belize of this result."
So, now, all three unions have agreed to government's latest proposal - meaning the government has put the testy wage dispute behind them without major civil disobedience or industrial action. But it has also given the unions a test of their strengths early in the Briceno administration's second term.
