Majority of Unions Vote to Defer Salary Adjustments; P.U.P. differs

Another national issue that is bubbling is the final instalment for salary adjustments to teachers and public officers. This afternoon, Government also announced that a majority of two to one of the unions voted in favour of a delay in salary adjustments until the start of the next fiscal year, 2017-2018. The Public Service Union and Association of Public Service Senior Managers voted in favour after consultations with its membership, while the Belize National Teachers’ Union voted against following their consultations. The Government has said it plans to meet with all three unions to negotiate a compromise. In our interview this afternoon with Leader of the Opposition John Briceño, he made the case for why the Government should not delay the adjustments if they can’t clean up what is seen as internal waste.

On the Phone: John Briceño, P.U.P. Leader

“I am most disappointed to hear that the Public Service Senior Managers and the P.S.U. would have just caved in to the Government’s demands or dictates. Why do I say that? Well, because the Government has not shown that they are serious about cutting the waste and the fat, in the Government. They have just appointed new Ministers – that requires more increase in salary, that requires a driver; that requires a vehicle. They have just opened a new office in New York, where it is alleged that the former representative from Albert Division was given a prize for him to step down and not contest in the Albert Division and so now his prize was to go to New York. All of that has a lot of cost. And apart from that I have not seen any serious efforts on behalf of the Government to cut down on their waste in the Government, and the waste, what the ministers are spending. And until I can see that, I want to agree with the Teachers’ Union, with the B.N.T.U., that why should they be asked to carry the burden, carry the sacrifice, when the Government is not doing their share.”

Briceño said he will seek a meeting with the unions about their respective stances. As for the B.N.T.U., confirmed information to News Five is that several other demands have been made to the Prime Minister, including a call for the Senate inquiry, an international investigation into the death of Pastor Llewellyn Lucas, an amendment to Social Security concerning teachers’ benefits, among other things. There is also a report that if the demands are not met by the end of this week then a demonstration could be held as early as next week.