PSU Clarifies: “We’re Not Asking for a Raise—We Want What’s Owed”

The Public Service Union (PSU) of Belize has issued a firm public statement aimed at correcting what it calls “misinformation” surrounding its current advocacy efforts for public officers and teachers. In a post tagged #SetTheRecordStraight, the PSU clarified that it is not demanding salary increases but rather the restoration of three years’ worth of frozen increments—benefits they say were earned, not gifted.

“We are not demanding a salary increase but rather a restoration of earned benefits contractually owed to public servants and withheld due to past government policies,” the PSU stated.

According to the union, these annual increments are a standard and contractual part of public service compensation, tied to tenure and performance—not discretionary raises.

“These increments are not discretionary ‘raises’ but part of a structured compensation system designed to recognise performance, experience, and public service loyalty,” the PSU explained.

“We are not asking for new money but for the government to fulfill obligations that were deferred,” the statement read.

“Public officers have effectively worked these years without receiving compensation they had already earned through their service.”

The union warned that continuing to withhold these increments during inflationary periods only worsens the burden on public servants and erodes trust in public sector employment agreements.