B.N.T.U. Offers Last Chance to Government to Stop Deductions Before Court Action

Belize National Teachers Union has been silent in the past few days. That is because we have learned that the union has decided to challenge the government in respect of salary deductions for teachers to be made at the end of this month. A letter was sent to the Minister of Education and Acting Prime Minister Patrick Faber dated November ninth. The salaries of teachers who went on strike for eleven days in October are to be affected.  The Minister of Education, Patrick Faber, has said salaries will be docked at the end of November after a meeting with school managers. The Union believes that government cannot make that decision because it contravenes the Education and Training Act, the Education Rules and a section of the constitution. The Union is demanding that the government immediately rescind the decision to dock salaries.  Attorney Eamon Courtenay is giving government until Monday to act or the matter is heading straight to court. The letter states that “If we do not receive a favourable response by Monday, November fourteenth, we are instructed to institute a claim for constitutional and injunctive relief and an application for urgent interim relief.” So for now, the battle between the B.N.T.U. and the Ministry of Education continues.