No breakthrough in talks as strike looms

Rumours are that negotiators are getting closer to a settlement of the dispute between Belize’s unions and Government but tonight we cannot report a breakthrough in the talks. That leaves one more day before a union imposed deadline, after which the NTUCB says it will return to strike mode on Thursday and Friday. Negotiators met once again this afternoon at the Central Bank and at newstime were still locked down, both sides observing a press blackout. The attitude of the numerically powerful teachers union is still not clear, but we were informed by a BNTU official that for the teachers to participate in any NTUCB action, the union’s council of management would have to vote on the issue.