We also asked Usher about the resistance by the employees of the Belize Tax Service towards the transition to a "semi autonomous revenue authority". As you heard from the PSU president last night, the options given to the 200-plus employees aren't suitable in their opinion. Those options include either resigning or basically reapplying for a job despite already holding a position. There is the possibility that even after reapplying, that person may not be employed at the authority and will have to join another public service office.
We asked the Public Service Minister more about it.
Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service:
"This particular issue has arisen because of the workers at Belize Tax Service and what opportunities or what options they will have moving forward in terms of where they will work and i think that the options that are open to them right now as was explained last night is that they can remain with the newly formed semi-autonomous revenue authority, they can remain in the public service and be placed somewhere in the wider public service. Or, well, I didn't know that this is an option that they would be able to leave their job but I don't see that as being one but certainly it is something that we have to be very cognizant of, we have to work with, the employees, as the Minister of the Public Service, I have to make sure that the public officers are treated fairly, that their options, everything is explained to them, and that's something that we are doing. I'm glad the union was able to have that meeting with them yesterday and I think that there are questions that have come up and these questions need to be answered."
Courtney Menzies:
"Their issue is that they already have a job and they would have to reapply and there's a chance that they don't get accepted into that job and they would have to be put into the wider public service. They're saying this is unfair and it destroys their dignity."
Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service:
"Well I don't know, I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a matter of destroying their dignity but the question as to whether the interview process would be part of them staying with the new revenue authority, that's something that revenue authority would have to determine. They were hired by the Ministry of Public Service, their terms and conditions of service are determined by the public service commission currently. If these employees choose to remain in the public service then of course we would need to find a new place for them within the public service. With the new revenue authority, they are choosing to work in terms and conditions of that authority which may include an interview process. I haven't seen that part of it as yet, I haven't really looked at what the revenue authority is going to do. My main goal is to make sure that the public officers are treated fairly, that they have all of the information, and that those that remain in the public service, we can find somewhere to go. There are about 226 employees under the Belize Tax Service so we have to make sure we find jobs for them in the event they want to remain in the tax service."
Courtney Menzies:
"Jobs at the same level, they're also concerned that they'll go from being manager to maybe being a clerk."
Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service:
"Well, I don't know if that's the case, we would certainly look at the post they are holding and see if we can find other posts in the public service that they can possibly fill."
As we told you, the PSU is writing a proposal paper on behalf of the BTS employees.
