GOB Reinstates Ten Percent Salary Reinstated, No Performance Bonus
Dean Flowers
As we have been reporting, public officers are getting their ten percent salary reduction reinstated as of July first. This comes as good news to government workers across the country who have had to endure the COVID-19 pandemic and rising inflation rates with ten percent less of their salaries. In the negotiations between the Joint Unions and the Government of Belize leading up to the salary cut back in 2021, there were talks about a performance bonus option for public officers. The government committed to making millions of dollars in funds available to workers, based on how well the economy recovered. Well according to PSU President, Dean Flowers, that performance bonus option was taken off the table, a move he describes as, quote, dishonest and a lack of integrity.
Dean Flowers, President, P.S.U
“The government informed us clearly, despite the Prime Minister, and this is the dishonesty of the people we deal with and the lack of integrity, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance was frank. What we gave you on May the twelfth, May the thirteenth, what the Prime Minister presented to this country on May 2021 was nothing merely than a commitment. It was not a binding agreement, so we are not honoring that where the performance bonus is concerned, because remember, the actual superseded the budget. So, we would have needed to revisit the formula to be able to make a declaration on whether public officers would have been afforded those sixty million dollars in distribution. And, he was clear. That is not a binding agreement that is just a commitment. As a matter of fact, everything in there is a mere commitment from us. So, that is off the table and we will see what happens. Then they came back and said ok we will restore you on July the first.”
Marleni Cuellar
Marleni Cuellar
“So, what happens now? You accept your ten percent and you go back to full pay?”
Dean Flowers, President, P.S.U
Well, we didn’t accept the cut. They did what they informed us that they are mandated to do, and now Cabinet took a decision, again Cabinet dictatorship, we wah give you back ten and yo gwen back dah eight. Until public officers understand that this kind of dictatorship will continue until they take ownership of the public service and them own selves then what can we do? We get back our ten percent and we guh back dah work eight o’clock. This is the type of passiveness, the type of society we are raising.”
