Teachers’ Union Does Not Agree with Other Unions on Salary Adjustment

During Thursday’s press briefing in Louisville, Corozal, addressing the matter of the three percent salary adjustment now in its third and final tranche itself, B.N.T.U. president Luke Palacio said the union’s vote was unanimous. But why exactly is the Union rejecting the Prime Minister’s proposal for a salary deferral? According to Palacio, it is about honouring a negotiated deal. He also responded to the question of whether the other public sector unions’ votes in favour of deferral had any weight with the B.N.T.U.

Luke Palacio, National President, B.N.T.U.

“I don’t do that type of thing; I will not say what I expect to come out of it. I know what we would like to see come out of it. But the bottom line remains—and we keep on saying this—the union does not pay salaries; the union negotiates. And we have negotiated this salary adjustment and our position is: you are asking us to defer our salary adjustment, what are we going to get in return for it? That is where we stand. Again the media, please get it straight, nobody is asking—at least not the B.N.T.U.—is asking that that three percent is paid now. The question, the request put to us was for the union to consider to defer the salary adjustments. We consulted and our membership said no. That’s where we stand.”

Luke Palacio

Reporter

“Since the other two unions have agreed to defer, does that have any weight with B.N.T.U. given that you are one-third of the negotiating team?”

Luke Palacio

“You must understand that B.N.T.U. is an independent entity. We are not contingent on whether P.S.U. and A.P.S.S.M. accepts it; it’s not contingent on that. And that is our position.”