Unions protest but G.O.B. passes Soc. Security Bill
If there was a theme to today’s meeting of the House of Representatives, it could be called “short notice”. Those words described both the introduction of massive new changes in the Social Security system as well as the large-scale protest organised by the labour unions. News 5’s Janelle Chanona reports from Belmopan.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
At first, there were more police than protestors…but slowly support trickled in from the districts as members of Belize’s labour unions gathered in front of the National Assembly in Belmopan. Mostly teachers, the men and women had abandoned their classrooms to demonstrate their objection to the proposed increase in social security contributions.
Their songs of solidarity seemed nothing more than white noise as the meeting of the House of Representatives proceeded as normal. The union reps had decided to keep it real: ready to work from the inside out.
Senator Rene Gomez, General Worker’s Union, B.S.I.
“No, we cannot stop it, but we can make an amendment for the senate meeting, when we join it in the senate committee, we can make some other amendments, especially in the composition of the board and that will mean it will go back to the House and that’s my hope now.”
Hopes that found sympathy with Leader of the Opposition, Dean Barrow.
Dean Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“We might sometimes be powerless to stop injustices, but we must never fail to try. Whether they will pass it or pass it not, this is democracy in action and it will not necessarily stop here… Precisely. I’m sure these people have other things to do.”
But soon it became clear that government had changed the terms of the argument.
Ralph Fonseca, Minister of Finance
“Madam Speaker, this bill has nothing in it that will increase rates or insurable ceilings. As a matter of fact, this bill has nothing in it that will change minimum payments or retirement ages. This bill, as it long title clearly states, only provides for a change in the Social Security Board for a new method of appointment for the General Manager and for the publication of audited and actuarial reports. It also enables the Social Security Board to invest in foreign capital markets, and finally, it extends the Social Security coverage of the board.”
“We [had] indicated that at its second reading we would also lay on the table signed statutory instruments making adjustments to the rate of contribution and expanding the insurable earnings ceilings. Note must be taken here that these Statutory Instruments have nothing to do with this bill and indeed could have been signed at any time with the full weight of the law. Today, because of the massive misinformation campaign of the Opposition, aimed to purposely distort the facts and to allow community leaders, including trade union leaders, time to remove the distortions and clarify and communicate with their members, we have decided to defer the signing of the Statutory Instruments for two more weeks.”
Dean Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“I don’t know what the Minister’s difficulty is. Whether it is just a question of monumental arrogance or he really thinks the Belizean people are stupid. There is a Social Security Reform Commission Report. And ih no haad fi look at the report in order to see the recommendations enshrined therein and to do the analysis to see whether in fact this bill that the minister is beating his chest and promoting today, in fact reflects the recommendations of the Social Security Reform Commission. And Madam Speaker I am here to tell you, let me get straight to the point, that in the main, not only does the bill not do that, what the bill does is to trample upon the recommendations of the Social Security Reform Commission.”
“Under the current regime, the current arrangement, the government controlled Social Security Board has been guilty of all sorts of…I want to choose my words carefully, shall I be kind to them Madam Speaker, all sorts of errors. All the deprivations, all the raids of the Social Security monies have come under the present arrangement and it is clear, it is a matter of public record that the monies belonging to the workers have not been properly managed under the current scheme.”
Johnny Briceño, Deputy Prime Minister
“We are firm believers in the consultation process, we are firm believers in talking to the Belizean people, because we are here, the people elected us on March fifth of 2003 once again. And look at the numbers, twenty-two to seven, because we have been doing the right things, we have been consulting the people of this county and we are going to represent the best interest of all the people of this country from Belize right down to Toledo. And they ask for more consultations Madam Speaker, the unions ask for more consultations and I will challenge them that if they were to have a U.D.P. government, they would not get the opportunity. But we are saying today, we are telling them we are going to have more consultations with the unions Madam Speaker.”
But even as the debate continued, labour union representatives made it clear they are going to be heard by any means necessary… And tonight, they’re deep in their own consultations figuring out their next step.
George Frazer, Natl. Trade Union Congress of Belize
“This dah only wah lee bit. We will assess what happened today, because our members are saying we will take the disrespect and if we have to close down school… and we also have other workers and unions here. We have the Energy Workers, we have B.T.L., we have Belize Workers Union Sugar Factory. We want dialogue and respect, we noh want dictatorship.”
Reporting for News 5, I am Janelle Chanona.
