Union Pleads With School Managers Not to Dock Salaries

Luke Palacio

As the teachers and students return to class, there is concern about possible punitive measures including withholding of salaries for the eleven days of absences by teachers. The B.N.T.U. has promised to stand up for its teachers on this point, but the decision lies in the hands of school managements. Palacio made an urgent appeal to these managers to consider the facts of why they walked off the job and promised that the teachers will make up the time lost.

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

“In 2005, the ruling of the Chief Justice was that the government cannot instruct managements to deduct for strike action. We hope that those managers will understand that these teachers who were out on strike were striking for good governance; they were striking for Belize. They, as general managers, will also benefit from whatever good governance agenda we are able to foster as a result of what has happened. Our teachers are prepared to make up the time. We are appealing to those managers; kindly give the teachers their salaries at the end of the month because they were not doing anything illegal. They are standing up to Belize; they were contributing to national development which is one of the things that our teachers are expected to do every day. We need to have our children learn; we need to have our parents understand that we must love our country. And if we love this country, we must keep on fighting for what we believe would make our country a better country—not only for today, but for generations to come.”

The Ministry of Education has also issued a memo via the Chief Education Officer today to say that salaries will be withheld for striking teachers of government and government-aided schools.