Unions & GOB still at odds

And back to those negotiations. Just before newstime Patrick Jones reported that government and union negotiators, seen here entering the Central Bank shortly after one this afternoon, were still trying to hammer out the final wording of a nine-point agreement. According to a release yesterday from the NTUCB, despite his expressions of willingness to personally enter the negotiations, Prime Minister Said Musa was not involved in the weekend talks, nor, according to reports, has he been present today. The unions have asked that the P.M. appear personally. The release also noted that the lifting of the strike action is effective for Monday through Wednesday of this week and that if agreement cannot be reached, industrial action will resume on Thursday. It is not clear if the Belize National Teachers Union is a party to this latest ultimatum. The teachers formed the backbone of last week’s strike with the vast majority staying away from classrooms. Strike action by public officers was much less successful with many government offices operating at nearly full strength and others functioning with supervisory personnel.