P.S.U. President: Some of Our Members Don’t Know Their Own Power
As we have seen over the past few weeks, it was once again the teachers union leading the charge in Belmopan today. And once again, they bused in from all over the country. This time, there was a church service on the Governor General Field before a march around the Belmopan Ring Road as they continue to voice their discontent with G.O.B. And while it was a joint union demonstration, teachers significantly outnumbered public servants. President of the Public Service Union Gerald Henry says P.S.U. has the power to move G.O.B. to action, but may not always recognize this.
Paul Lopez
“The opinion persists that the Public Service Union is riding the teacher’s back where these protests are concerned.”
Gerald Henry, President, P.S.U.
“What is happening is that the teachers have been down this road several times before. Not to say that P.S.U. hasn’t been, but as you know, we were in sort of a coma for quite a number of years.”
Paul Lopez
“So you are disorganized?”
Gerald Henry
Gerald Henry
“So we lost some of our organization and so on. And of course, our membership has not been getting the understanding of our need to come out. And we need to start to do a better job with educating our members of why it is they should come out to support the cause that we are actually fighting for. We must also let them understand the power that they have. Because that is where they are actually falling. They are not realizing that we are the ones who, if we are missing for one day out of our jobs, the crisis that will take place in this country, any government will have to go back, will have to call us to the table to discuss whatever issue. That will be the final offer at the time when we decide as public officers that this is the final offer.”
Paul Lopez
“So it is the ones with the most power around the negotiation table that are not showing up?”
Gerald Henry
“And that is the problem right now. The public officers must understand that we are the ones with the power.”
