Tensions Simmer as Union Protest Meets Structured Talks Behind Closed Doors

From the streets of Belmopan to the negotiation table at the House of Culture, the Joint Union Negotiating Team brought their demands straight to the government on Tuesday afternoon. At the top of their list: an eight-and-a-half percent salary adjustment to help offset frozen increments and the rising cost of living driven by inflation. Inside the meeting room, the Briceño administration sent in a high-powered team—Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde, Education Minister Oscar Requena, and Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance Christopher Coye, to lead the talks. Outside, a small but determined group of union members staged a peaceful protest, keeping the pressure on. After five hours of intense discussions, a proposal was finally placed on the table. Both sides agreed to take it back for further review. The outcome of these talks could shape the future of public sector pay, and tensions remain high as workers wait to see if their demands will be met.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Backed by a wave of support from Friday’s demonstration in Belmopan, the Joint Union Negotiating Team (JUNT) entered the House of Culture on Tuesday afternoon with renewed energy and a clear message: it’s time for action. Leading the charge for educators was Belize National Teachers’ Union President Nadia Caliz, who took on the tough task of representing teachers at the table. With public officers and educators united, the unions made it clear they’re not backing down.

 

Nadia Caliz, President, Belize National Teachers Union

“Very positive, very optimistic and we are not backing down. If you notice, I am happy to see my teachers. I am pleased. Let us hope when I come out it is exactly what they want or more.”

 

Tuesday’s meeting between the Joint Union Negotiating Team and the government followed a set agenda, but not everyone was happy with the order of business. Salary adjustments and increments, the unions’ top concerns, were placed low on the list. Instead, discussions kicked off with committee reports and talks on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. As the hours wore on, union reps stepped out of the meeting room, twice, to huddle in private. We later learned they were weighing proposals and counterproposals, signaling that the talks were anything but routine.

 

Nadia Caliz

“It was cordial, until we got to a point where the demands of the workers were not taken seriously, and I had to let them know, because for me we have a mandate to strike, I had to let them know that as of today I am sending out what I need to send out. We all had to caucus after that, because the members don’t want to hear anything other than their demands. So they caucus, we caucus and they made a proposal and that is what we are going to take back to membership.”

How can union members make an informed decision on a government proposal that hasn’t even been put in writing? With only verbal exchanges and no official document to review, union leaders are left in a tough spot, expected to consult their members on terms that haven’t been clearly laid out. It’s a sticking point that could stall progress and raise concerns about transparency in the negotiation process.

 

Cordel Hyde, Deputy Prime Minister

“I think we had a very constructive meeting, we discussed the issues in length and I think we reached some level of overstanding. Of course, these things are subject to agreement of Cabinet and agreement of the membership of the unions.”

 

Oscar Requena, Minister of Education

“I do not want to speak to the specifics because we do have our proposal. We need to go back to Cabinet and thereafter we will be able to speak to the specifics.”

 

The Public Service Union may have called Tuesday meeting a success—but not everyone was convinced. PSU President Dean Flowers told reporters the session went well, but behind the scenes, there was visible pushback from within. During a Tuesday night Zoom call with P.S.U. members, Union Senator Glenfield Dennison didn’t hold back, writing in the chat: “Government killed our movement with one meeting. My two cents.”

 

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union

“I believe we had a very respectful meeting as we always do. While we can get emotional at times, respect is always maintained. We went into that room with a mandate from our collected membership. We did waver with that demand. We stuck it out. The Cabinet subcommittee considered the request and made an offer. They now go back to get the endorsement for that offer. Once Cabinet endorses that offer and our membership accepts that offer when it is presented, we will all be in a very good place. But I can say today was a successful round of negotiations for the most part.”

The standoff has reached a boiling point, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Will teachers accept the government’s latest offer? Or will they hit the streets in a bold two-day national shutdown? The answer could shape the public service’s immediate future and it’s coming soon. Reporting for News Five I am Paul Lopez.