B.N.T.U.: By Slashing Salaries of 1,500, G.O.B. Wants to “Rule”, Not “Govern”

Luke Palacio

According to Palacio, government insists on punishing teachers who took part in industrial action last month.  While there is currently no figure to determine the overall deduction, government has began the process of docking the salaries of over one thousand, five hundred teachers ahead of the Christmas Season.

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

“We do not buy, we do not subscribe to the argument that they are trying to bring.  We maintain that government is making a special effort at punishing our teachers and making every attempt at trying to bring down the Belize National Teachers Union and it will not succeed.  We shall not be moved.  That is our position and that is what we intend to do.”

Reporter

“Are you able to tell us how many teachers, having so much time, are you able to tell us if there is a metric on how many teachers they are trying to dock and how much money in total it is?”

Luke Palacio

“Well you will have to understand that the salaries vary for individual teachers, so there is no way we can give you that figure, we don’t pay salaries.  But we are certain that we had over a thousand, five hundred teachers on strike who will be affected by this action of the government.”

Reporter

“Sir, now from what we are aware of the system, we are told that they are actually processing, I think they have started processing the deductions last week and that would have continued into this week.  So for them to actually go back and undo that it’s going to take a few more weeks which means that at the end of the day, notwithstanding what happens with this injunction, the deductions may go through.”

Luke Palacio

“We are saying to you that the government continues to be intransigent.  They were told, they were advised, we are going to take you to court if you insist on this course of action.  The logical thing for them to have done was to put this on hold and after the outcome of the case then they could have decided whether the deductions would be made because then we would have to abide by the court ruling.  They are trying to be the rulers and not the government of this country and we will not stand by idly and allow that to happen.”

A decision will be handed down by Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin on Monday afternoon.