Unions: “We won’t be punked anymore”
No more. That was the theme this afternoon of a joint press conference hosted by the eight unions that comprise the National Trade Union Congress of Belize. It was an alphabet soup of acronyms but the message they spelled out was clear: they are strongly opposed to any tax hikes that are all but certain to be put forward by the Musa administration in its budget for 2005/2006. One by one the representatives of Belize’s workers outlined their position.
Paul Perriott, President, Belize Communication Workers Union
?Lately, we had a wah meeting and a presenter up there tell that we Belizeans dah punk. All ah we dah punks because we sit down and we tek and we tek and we tek. You know what I said this is true but you know what, no more guys. No more of this. We as workers will not sit down here and take anymore of the abuse. We will not be punks no more.?
?The workers of BTL and the Belize Communication Workers Union have unanimously decided to take back our beloved Belize by joining hands in solidarity with our brothers in the National Trade Union Congress of Belize to stop the injustices and the raping of our country. We are ready to shut it down guys. And we know we could do it. We know as unions, we could do it.?
Dylan Reneau, President, Public Service Union
?Our first plan of action and I will put it out to the public. We?ve garnered a document from the police for us to picket the National Assembly tomorrow. All the union presidents will be at the National Assembly meeting and we?re basically picketing to enforce our positions that we have stated, which I will repeat. We want to demand and insist that the implementation of reforms be taken. We are not supportive of any new taxes or increases and we are still insistent on our third payment and we want it all up front.?
Anthony Fuentes, President, Belize National Teachers Union
?Do not play with our salary increase. We deserve it. We have worked for it. I must say also that the business community said we shouldn?t get our salary increase and I must remind the business community that it is the union that negotiated for salary increases for public officers and teachers. The raise that we get, we go and buy from them in their stores. So we deserve our eight and five percent salary increases.?
Mark Butler, President, Belize Energy Workers Union
?The unions, after all due diligence are left with no alternative but to issues a lost of confidence cal against the Government of Belize. We the Belize Energy Workers Union are strongly in support with the National Trade Union Congress of Belize in whatever recommendation that it had put forward to GOB or whatever future steps they intend to take. We hereby call on workers and citizens of this country to support this call to place Belize on the path of good administration and financial prosperity.?
Also present at today’s press conference were representatives of the Christian Workers Union, the Association of Public Service Senior Managers and members of the student government of the University of Belize. According to officials from the National Trade Union Congress, buses will depart from the parking lot of the Belize City Centre to transport members to Belmopan for Friday’s budget presentation.
