Despite Misgivings, Prime Minister Still Wants to Meet with Teachers’ Union

Dean Barrow

The Prime Minister continued to extend the olive branch to the Teachers’ Union, promising a further meeting at some time. But he said he wants to know that the Union is serious about a dialogue on these issues and not acting out of political motivation.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“So ultimately, again, when in the meeting this morning with the utilities unions, we discussed the B.N.T.U.  We discussed the B.N.T.U.—not just in the context of the three percent, but in the context of the issues raised by the separate letter, by the stand up for Belize campaign. The campaign that I say does not constitute a labor dispute and I went over those with the utilities’ unions and they must tell you what they thought about that particular discussion. But the point I’d like to make is that they were at the table. I’ve offered, as I said to meet with the B.N.T.U.; the fact that notwithstanding my response to the letter, notwithstanding the offer to meet, they are determined to go ahead on Monday means that they want to make a particular point—all well and good. But I think thereafter, if they are not to run the risk of being seen as unreasonable by the public, they really ought to come to the table and let us have the sort of dialogue that I had today with the utilities’ unions. But it’s a matter for them.”

A schedule for that meeting is expected to be worked out after Monday’s demonstration.