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One of the guest speakers at today’s union event in Belmopan Kerm Thimbrel recounted meetings he held with former President of the N.T.U.C.B. Marvin Mora back in 2020. Thimbriel says allegations that these rallies are politically motivated are untrue, because of the unions’ tract record. However, he does not support road blockades. Kerm Thimbrel, […]
Written on May 19, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Rally Speaker Points to Past Movements; Disavows Roadblocks
The Joint Unions Negotiating Team is preparing its response to government’s most recent proposal, which was made public last Wednesday during a prepared address by Prime Minister John Briceño. Education Minister Francis Fonseca, sat on the government’s negotiating team. Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education “Based on that consultation and that discussion, the joint unions […]
Written on May 19, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Fonseca Says G.O.B. has Addressed Union Concerns
The letter from the Labour Commissioner also suggested that the unions who are engaged in industrial action are threatening public health and safety by congregating in numbers greater than ten, which is in violation of Quarantine Regulations. P.S.U. Vice President Dean Flowers did not mince words in his counter response. Dean Flowers, 1st Vice […]
Written on May 19, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on P.S.U.’s Version of “Noh Watch Me, Watch Yoself”
In its move to end corruption, the Joint Unions Negotiating Team is calling for the installation of the whistleblower’s act, a piece of legislation that will allow for persons to come forward with information and proof of misappropriation of public funds or corruption by public officials. News Five spoke with attorney-at-law Darrell Bradley who broke […]
Written on May 19, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Breaking Down the Proposed Whistleblower Act
But according to Bradley, the whistleblower act on its own does not have teeth. He says that there is need for strengthening of the investigative bodies as well as the inclusion of other pieces of legislation to recover misappropriated assets or monies. Darrell Bradley, Attorney-at-law “Anti-corruption legislation is not about one piece of legislation; […]
Written on May 19, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Attorney Says Draft Whistleblower Legislation Not Enough
For the next thirty days, movement will remain restricted by curfew hours. Over the weekend a new S.I. came into effect, extending the curfew for an additional thirty days. There was some confusion when the last S.I. expired on May fifteenth with many Belizeans questioning whether the curfew was still in effect. To clarify, ComPol […]
Written on May 17, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on ComPol Says He Was Just Sharing Curfew S.I. as a Courtesy
The small crowd of union protestors that were out today shouted no to government’s proposals. This afternoon, before she entered today’s meeting with government officials, which is ongoing up to news time; President of the Belize National Teachers Union Elena Smith addressed protestors. She wasted no time responding to the Prime Minister’s Facebook speech on […]
Written on May 13, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on President Smith Calls Out PM Briceño on G.O.B. Proposals
President of the Public Service Union Gerald Henry confirmed strike actions will continue through Friday. He also addressed protestors in the Yarborough community. In his remarks, he noted the fight is not over and that the unions are in it for the long haul. Gerald Henry, President, P.S.U. “This is not just a public […]
Written on May 13, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on President Henry on Industrial Action: “This is for the Long Haul”
Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ramon Cervantes said today that in his view the unions are being unreasonable. Like his colleagues, Minister Cervantes will be taking a fifteen percent salary cut and fifty percent cut in his allowances. Minister Cervantes, as Area Representative for Orange Walk North, says these cuts are […]
Written on May 13, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Minister Cervantes on Unions Protest
Earlier in the broadcast, we brought you some footage of union leaders this afternoon. But News Five’s Paul Lopez is still standing by at the House of Culture and we now go to him with a live report. [Live with News Five’s Paul Lopez on Update News Five will have a report on […]
Written on May 13, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on An Update from the Unions Outside the House of Culture
Belizeans who plan to visit India, or have their relatives or business associates come from India in the near future will have to make other plans. The Government of Belize announced today there will be a temporary travel ban for people who have travelled to or originated from India and Bangladesh due to the rising […]
Written on May 13, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Cabinet: Belize Issues Temporary Travel Ban for India & Bangladesh Travellers
The joint unions may not have been able to stop their salaries from being cut or their increments from being frozen, but the industrial action underway from the public service and teachers unions is also focused on anti-corruption and good governance. There will be a meeting tomorrow between union leaders and government officials, but late […]
Written on May 12, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on PM Briceño Outlines Good Governance Measures to be Undertaken
In his address, PM Briceño says that his government is committed to complete, on an expedited basis, the ongoing rationalization of public service exercise. But according to Briceño, several of the measures that were proposed for public officers and teachers who will be directly affected by the salary adjustment and increment freeze, were rejected by […]
Written on May 12, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on A Rundown of Proposals Rejected by Unions
And now moving forward, Briceño says that they are prepared to commit to a number of measures that will directly benefit public officers and teachers, as well as some actions that the joint unions have been agitating for – like fifteen percent reduction in ministers’ salaries and allowances. Briceño committed to an annual performance bonus […]
Written on May 12, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Proposals for Public Officers & Teachers! Ministers and C.E.O.s Take Cuts!
There are growing concerns by boat operators who use the Haulover Creek that runs through Belize City as sedimentation build up has gone unchecked. Fisher folk and water taxi operators are sounding the alarm about the recurring issue that is almost always dredged after permits are acquired from the Department of Environment. But are the […]
Written on May 12, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Silt Build-Up in Haulover Creek
Port Commissioner Major Gilbert Swaso also spoke to News Five about the pending amendment to the Belize Port Authority Act, which was last revised back in 2011. According to Major Swaso, the review of the Act is long overdue. He says that consultations are currently underway with various stakeholders to bridge the gaps within the […]
Written on May 12, 2021 | Posted in
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Many great brands start in family homes – inside a garage or living room or even a kitchen. And that’s what one young business owner is hoping – that his pepper sauce line, which he started in his mom’s kitchen, will bloom into a recognized Belizean brand. He’s making habanero sauces with very gourmet flavour […]
Written on May 12, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Fermentation Fridays – a Pepper Sauce with a Purpose!
Over the weekend, thousands of Belizean families celebrated Mother’s Day, showing their appreciation for the women who raised them and the struggles they went through along the way. But among the sixty-two thousand or so residents of Belize City, there are some mothers living in extremely difficult situations, often not that far from the multi-storey […]
Written on May 12, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on The Other Side of Mother’s Day: Poverty Made Worse during COVID-19
We have been following the joint union’s strike actions very closely over the past couple of weeks. Today marks the thirteenth consecutive day that the Belize National Teachers Union has been on strike. It is historic, because the last time the B.N.T.U. engaged in strike action, it lasted for eleven days. On Tuesday, News Five […]
Written on May 12, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on News Five Looks Back at the Strike of 2016
Today, at the Radisson Fort George in Belize City, information and communication technology equipment was handed over to the Civil Society Reference Group to continue its work addressing family violence and empowering women. News Five’s Duane Moody reports. Duane Moody, Reporting The COVID-19 pandemic has not stopped the work of community-based leaders, advocates and […]
Written on May 12, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Spotlight Initiative Hands Over ICT Equipment
The Belize National Teachers Union made history today. The union has been engaged in strike action for twelve days, the longest on record. Back in 2005, the B.N.T.U. protested for a total of ten days, while in 2016, their protest lasted for eleven days. Indications are that this time around, the strike will continue into […]
Written on May 11, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Twelve Days and Counting; B.N.T.U. Strike Breaks Record
While that was almost two decades ago, tonight the B.N.T.U. and the P.S.U. continue to press the government. Will this P.U.P. administration yield to the union’s request like the last P.U.P. administration? Considering its historical twelve days of consecutive strike action, teachers joined P.S.U. members in front of the House of Culture. Inside, cabinet met […]
Written on May 11, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Unions Picket Cabinet Meeting
News Five extends its sincere apologies to both former Area Representative Frank ‘Papa’ Mena and Doctor Peter Allen for the story we broadcast on April fifteenth, 2021. We reported that a pair of siblings claimed that they had been swindled out of a two-million-dollar investment in Commerce Bight by Frank ‘Papa’ Mena and Doctor Peter […]
Written on May 11, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on News Five Addresses Recent Story on Commerce Bight Investments
Miss Universe Belize Iris Salguero has been in Miami, Florida for five days now representing the country in the sixty-ninth running of the international pageant. Salguero has been actively participating in several activities leading up to this Thursday’s National Costume Competition. Then on Friday, the preliminaries take place where the delegates will be interviewed by […]
Written on May 11, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Miss Universe Belize Competing in Florida!
Today marks the eleventh day that the Belize National Teachers Union has been on strike, matching the record set in 2016. The Joint Unions Negotiating Team and government representatives are scheduled to meet on Thursday and reports are that a decision on strike actions will not be taken until Friday. So where do the discussions […]
Written on May 10, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Unions Reject Land Credit and Mortgage Proposals; Talks to Continue Thursday
