B.N.T.U. says GOB must pay UHS debt

Elena Smith

Still on the matter of the U.H.S. loan, News Five spoke today with the president of the Belize National Teachers’ Union, Elena Smith. Her organization has adopted a preliminary position similar to that of the Chamber of Commerce and other social partners, even though it is still canvassing opinions from its far-flung membership. In short, Smith says that now that the judgment has been made by the Caribbean Court of Justice, the Government is committed to pay.

On the Phone: Elena Smith, National President, B.N.T.U.

“We are looking at that matter in two areas: the matter of the agreement that was signed, we know that from in 2005 the unions did not agree, did not support that. However, the matter has gone to our highest court and the court has made a decision, and so as a union we are saying that the proposition that was made must be honored. And so whether we agree with how the agreement came into being or not, the fact of the matter is there is a judgment and the government must pay; if we do not pay then obviously interest will continue to accrue and it will get larger. So we are saying the judgment must be honored.”