U.D.P. Minister Faults Teachers for Stepping Out of Boundaries after Executive Meeting
Wilfred Elrington
The ruling United Democratic Party’s National Party Council met Saturday in a regular session at the party’s headquarters at Youth for the Future Drive in Belize City. This quarterly meeting came amidst the planned strike by the Belize National Teachers’ Union today and other pressing national issues. Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington told us the agenda included a report from party leader and Prime Minister Dean Barrow on his negotiations with the trade unions and civil society, and reports on the youth and women’s wings of the party. Barrow himself declined to comment after the meeting, but Elrington was willing to insist on the record that the party was not in political trouble. He suggested that the strike is another method of showing popular dissatisfaction, which the Government is addressing. But he also claimed that the B.N.T.U. is overstepping its boundaries.
Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs
“In any democratic country, strikes are a given. It is understood that people will go into the streets to express their views and opinions on issues of the time. In countries like France for example you have strikes almost every week. In other countries in the Caribbean, you have strikes too. Strikes are normal and natural; it is a way for people to express their views. I am not overly about strikes. People will have legitimate issues; you will have unscrupulous people—people who are fraudulent and who will use the opportunity for political gain. I understand that too, so I am not overly concerned about things like that. As you and I know so well, this country is so politically divided; actually, I get the impression from listening to the union leaders that really they have found the view that neither the U.D.P. nor the P.U.P. are in fact doing what they think should be done and that they are the savers of the country. But that’s not the role of a labor union. A labor union has the interest of looking after its constituents, the teachers. In this case teachers union should be looking after teachers’ interests. And those interest would include making sure that their salaries are paid and that kind of thing. But it is not my understanding that they have the remit really to take on all the issues of the country and I don’t even know whether they have the wisdom or the ability or the competence to deal with those issues. But that happens in small countries, I imagine.”
Elrington said he was leaving the meeting early to attend another engagement, but said the party had not discussed any measures that would openly target those he said believed that the Barrow administration was ripe for a takedown.
What the hell is this donkey talking about??? The teachers have been the starting point of every educated person’s life in this country including his stupid donkey. He’s trying to throw low-blows that the teachers are not capable of such decisions well I think the dump donkeys we got in government is no better. The Prime Minister might be trying his best to appease to everyone’s desires but he’s letting the donkey’s call the shots.
Well, the UDP government surely does not show that competence that Sedi is talking about. The teachers have the respect and support of the general populace. The UDP doesn’t. That I can see well.
I agree totally with you Kay. This minister, as many have said, is better off when he does not open his mouth, and this is only prove that that is totally true. When will this persons in government learn. It only shows how inept they are to run a country. They claim that they just won an election last year, and it is true, but how much money did they spent to buy the votes of those poor people who are now suffering? Now that the educated population is rising up they try to intimidate, but the teachers are not fools,they now exactly what they are against—- corruption, corruption in government and in all branches of government including customs, immigration, lands and the list goes on. People in customs 2 years working they have two cars , a big house and when you check their accounts they have nothing, no loans or the like. check their salaries, they can afford to do this in two years? Immigration department people too. Yet the P M says there is no corruption.
I agree totally with you Kay. This minister, as many have said, is better off when he does not open his mouth, and this is only prove that that is totally true. When will this persons in government learn. It only shows how inept they are to run a country. They claim that they just won an election last year, and it is true, but how much money did they spent to buy the votes of those poor people who are now suffering? Now that the educated population is rising up they try to intimidate, but the teachers are not fools,they now exactly what they are against—- corruption, corruption in government and in all branches of government including customs, immigration, lands and the list goes on. People in customs 2 years working they have two cars , a big house and when you check their accounts they have nothing, no loans or the like. check their salaries, they can not afford to do this in two years? Immigration department people too. Yet the P M says there is no corruption.
This minister reminds of the Novel “Animal farm”. Talk about unscrupulous and fraudulent people , he has to look no further than Barrow and the UDP. This Erlington character is quite a comedian.