KHMH Workers Keep Up Pension Fight, Government Agrees to Meeting

The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority (KHMHA) Workers Union is keeping up the pressure on the Government of Belize. The union continues to demand the return of a pension scheme for hospital employees. Following a recent press release from the union, the government responded, confirming a meeting scheduled for Monday, February 17, in Belmopan.

Union members say they are determined to hold the government accountable, saying that they have been advocating for a pension plan for years. According to union representatives, they fear that if they ease off their demands, the government may not take them seriously.

Vice President of the union, Dr Alain Gonzalez, told reporters, “And we want everyone to know that we are serious; we have put in the work, and we deserve our pension.”

While some speculate that their renewed activism is linked to the upcoming March 12 general elections, union members insist their fight has been ongoing. “We already have this in the pipeline already. We had this already planned that we wanted to make sure that today we come out strong. If all this is out here by the numbers, we are much bigger than when you came out Saturday,” said Gonzalez.

The pension dispute primarily affects long-serving staff members employed between 2000 and 2017, as those hired after 2018 were automatically enrolled in a Provident Fund. The union estimates that about 230 to 250 employees—including doctors, nurses, and support staff—are impacted.