Category: Protest

The Ministry of Education has issued a firm directive to public schools across Belize, instructing general and local managers to keep schools open on Friday. This memo follows the Belize National Teachers Union’s announcement of a planned demonstration in Belmopan on the same day. Chief Education Officer Yolanda Gongora reminded principals that they do not have the authority to cancel classes or notify parents of closures. The memo also confirmed that school transportation will operate as usual. In response, B.N.T.U. President Nadia Caliz released a video statement acknowledging the ministry’s right to issue such directives, while questioning the intent behind the memo. The situation sets the stage for a tense Friday as teachers prepare to protest.

 

Nadia Caliz, President, B.N.T.U.

“I want you to know that the ministry is within its constitutional right. That letter speaks to keeping schools open. Nothing is wrong with that. It comes out every single time we decided to demonstrate or go on strike. The other part is this, the indirect aspect is to reduce the BNTU number on Friday, that is up to you the membership. I put that ball in your court. The ministry will send that our because they have a responsibility for education. And the management will work with them and you have seen letters come out of the management telling you hat schools will be open, asking administrators to list the names of those who are going, all of that. It is important to know that if you are going, give them your name. Now your responsibility as a member is to notify your parents and students that you will not be there, but you have no legal authority to tell them not to come to school and that there will be no class. So, please bear that in mind my dear members.”

President Nadia Caliz of the Belize National Teachers Union has issued a strong message to general and local school managers. She argued that if they can cooperate with the Ministry of Education to keep schools open on Friday, they should also be able to work with the ministry to address teachers’ demands. Caliz further advised teachers to be ready for the possibility of not being paid for the day spent demonstrating outside the classroom. This call to action comes as tensions rise ahead of the planned protest in Belmopan.

 

Nadia Caliz, President, B.N.T.U.

“Management, I love the fact that we have the memos coming out and that is the same concerted effort I want to see from you and the ministry as it pertains to the teachers getting their income tax. A lot off you have not reconciled, so my teachers are suffering for years. So if you can work together on this, you can work together on anything. That is the same energy I want to see concerning my teachers waiting for their increments. If you can work together on this you can work together on that. You can work to get to get exactly what teachers are clamoring for done, you can. Maybe, I am not certain, maybe under the table, they will tell managements not to pay you for the day. Maybe, but be prepared for whatever it is. You got to be prepared to take the stand you voted for.”

 

The upcoming demonstration in Belmopan on Friday is set to draw even larger crowds as the Public Service Union and the Association of Public Service Senior Managers join forces with the Belize National Teachers Union. Dean Flowers, President of the Public Service Union, emphasized that the teachers’ demands are shared by his members. This united front signals a significant show of solidarity among Belize’s public sector workers. We spoke with Flowers today to get his perspective on the growing movement.

 

Dean Flowers, President, B.N.T.U

“The BNTU, PSU, and APSSM are part of what we refer to as the joint union negotiating team, and so the issue or issues that we’re currently facing affect all three associations or bodies. So on Friday, in support of our sister union, in support of the issues that they are championing, and as we have a duty and obligation to as part of the joint union negotiating team, we will be issuing an official call to our general membership to be at Friday’s rally and demonstration against what we view as injustices against public sector workers by the Briceño administration. It is important that I also make note that the public service union would have consulted its membership last week and once again on Monday night, and the turnout was great. In terms of our virtual meetings, we have put out surveys to members as to whether or not this is a rally or demonstration that they would want to participate in, and they told us, not only do we want to participate in this rally and demonstration, but we want you to put together a comprehensive plan of action.”

 

P.S.U. President Dean Flowers is raising concerns about a possible coordinated effort by the Ministry of Public Service to deter public servants from attending Friday’s protest. Flowers pointed out that the Elections and Boundaries Department has scheduled training for village council elections on the same day, notifying public officers of the session. He advised his members to skip the training and join the demonstration, suggesting that the timing might be an attempt to undermine the protest’s impact.

 

Dean Flowers, President, P.S.U.

“Every parent who say they love their children, that they want the best for their children need to be out there. If they are not our there the government may view it as they could not bring out the crowd, so we wont give them the respect they deserve. That will cause the teachers to be outside of their classroom longer than they need to and when the teachers are out of the classroom longer than they need to your  children suffer, my children suffer. I want to say that yesterday we were informed that the ministry of public service via the elections and boundaries department would has sent out letters to public officers informing them that in forty eight hours, seventy two hours there will be training for village council election. We don’t know if there is a plot by the Ministry of Public Service. We find it very coincidental that Ms. Tamai wants to hold a training on Friday, knowing fully well. We are saying to our public officers, training can wait, what cannot wait is for you to let your voices be heard. So, we are saying, if you have training, do not attend that training on Friday. Show up in Belmopan, in solidarity with the joint unions.”

 

P.S.U. President Dean Flowers has criticized the government’s response to the joint unions’ April 22nd letter to the prime minister. Flowers described the reply, received yesterday, as sheepish and lacking any concrete information on how the government plans to address their demands. He expressed frustration, stating that the Briceño administration’s disrespect towards the unions continues. This development adds fuel to the fire ahead of Friday’s planned protest in Belmopan.

 

Dean Flowers, President, P.S.U.

“Last month we would have issued a joint letter to the prime minister of Belize who responded sheepishly yesterday to acknowledge receiving, that was the extent of his letter, I hereby acknowledge receiving your letter and the government negotiating team will be in touch with you, absolutely no response to the issues we raised, to the request we made, to our framework that we submitted to him as far back as November. So, the disrespect of John Briceno continues. If Stuart Leslie wants to be paid like a CEO of a fortune five hundred company, then Dean Flowers wants to be paid like an employee of a fortune five hundred company and every single public officer that I represent has the right to be paid the salary of a fortune five hundred company because we do the heavy lifting. We are the laborers of this country, not the CEOs.”