B.N.T.U. Prepares to Respond to Government’s Salary Cut

Elena Smith

The Belize National Teachers Union is responding to government’s announcement that it will proceed with a ten percent salary reduction, as well as an increment freeze.  On Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Briceño, in a televised statement, informed the nation that his administration will move ahead with the wage cut which will be reflected in Friday’s presentation of the 2021 budget.  The Public Service Union which is part of a multilateral negotiating team, including the B.N.T.U. and the Association of Public Service Senior Managers, also met on Wednesday in a series of meetings with public officers.  During those discussions, the membership of the union voted overwhelmingly for the P.S.U. to proceed with a twenty-one day notice of industrial action against government.  This evening, upon the conclusion of a two-day national convention, News Five spoke with B.N.T.U. National President, Senator Elena Smith who said that the teachers’ union will also embark upon its own survey to determine its next move.

Senator Elena Smith, National President, B.N.T.U.

“We have done several surveys already but having gotten this last letter from government now with those two options, because it’s just ten percent or a tiered approach, those are the options.  We now have to have our members vote on that position once more, we have to also get from them their position as it relates to what kind of action we will be taking going forward.  So, for that reason then, the convention we shared the information, we had some discussions with our members and we explained to them that despite the fact that the government might be saying that they are sharing, if you will, compensation , if that’s what they call it, we don’t see it as that.  But they are telling us that we need to work with the banks, you know, to help our people so that they don’t feel the hit as much, they get some kind of reprieve from the banks, but you are not giving me details.  You want to tell me that I will offer teachers data packages but I don’t know what that will be and what that will cost.  So you’re not giving me the details that my people can go out there and fine, “They’re asking us for ten percent and these are the things that they are going to do.  They will give me a package worth this and it will cost me this.”  The banks, I can go to the banks and this will be the percentage that the banks will give me on my mortgage and whatever other things that they are offering.  I need to know the details of those.  So I can’t take a decision on something that I don’t have the full picture of.  And so, we cannot expect our members to say yes, we will give up our ten because you are going to be giving us ABC, when they don’t know those details.  And had we gotten those details in a letter then that decision could have been taken today.  So our members are now taking a position based on two things: a ten percent across the board or a tiered approach which should amount to this sixty million and the twenty million.”