Unionists set to protest G.O.B. policies on Sat.
Today students hit the streets but come tomorrow members of Belize’s labour movement will be exercising their rights to public demonstration. According to the Belize Medical and Dental Union, the catalyst of the march and rally was Government’s take over of Universal Health Services.
Dr. Beatrice Thompson, Secretary, B.M.D.U.
“So far no guarantee has surfaced, no sovereign guarantee has ever been seen for this loan, so we still don’t know if government should have gone ahead and said we’ll swap land for the loan or we should acquire Universal Health Services. Let the collateral speak for themselves, let the Belize Bank foreclose on those collaterals and take that over and we wouldn’t have any problem.”
“We feel that it’s no longer plausible and it’s just a waste of time sitting down and trying to see what the government or the Ministry of Health has come up with and see if it’s really going to work. Nothing has come up, nothing at all, it’s total disrespect to the medical body and to health care professionals. So that is why now we are saying that if it is the only way that it will work, for us to come out on the streets and ask the government, tell the people what is really happening.”
Kendra Griffith
“So it’s answers that you all are really looking for?”
Dr. Beatrice Thompson
“No, we want solutions also. We want solution to this public health care crisis. We are lacking of equipment, we are lacking of staff. We lack a lot of things.”
Andrew Beard, Practical Nurse Rep., N.A.B.
“We want to send the message to the government of Belize from the Nurses Association and the nursing body in general that the medical personnel in this country today is not happy with the policies or the steps that they are taking with the health system.”
“I want to urge all nurses countrywide and even from Belize City to come out tomorrow and support this demonstration because it is for the benefit of the nurses, as well as the patients of Belize. But please do remember that if you are scheduled to work tomorrow, you need to report to work in the morning and do not come out to this demonstration if you are supposed to work.”
The B.M.D.U. has received support for their march from a number of other unions including the labour movement’s umbrella organisation, the National Trade Union Congress of Belize, which includes the Belize National Teacher’s Union. The event has also attracted the attention of the opposition United Democratic Party. This afternoon Patrick Faber maintained the party is not using the occasion to gain political ground.
Patrick Faber, Area Rep., Collet
“We have respected the unions’ position of it, of them not wanting to make it a political or a partisan demonstration tomorrow. And so we are asking our supporters not to go out there and UDPs, but to go out there as concerned Belizean residents and citizens to make stand against the issues that the unions have been putting forward, because these are issues that are affecting all of us as Belizeans, not only the PUP residents, not only the UDP residents, not only the residents who support other parties, these are issues that plague all of us as Belizeans.”
Anthony Fuentes, President, B.N.T.U.
“I’ve received confirmation from Corozal that yes they will be having a delegation, from Orange Walk and from San Ignacio, and of course Belize City teachers are here, they will be participating in that march tomorrow.”
Kendra Griffith
“Why do you feel compelled to march tomorrow?”
Anthony Fuentes
“The Belize National Teacher’s Union is an affiliate of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize and so we felt that it’s important that we participate in the demonstration tomorrow.”
The march will move off from the Memorial Park at nine a.m. and will make its way through the principal streets of city, before making its way back to Memorial Park for a rally.
