BELMOPAN, Belize – Prime Minister John Briceño says he believes that Belizeans understand that “we are not acting out of malice” after the latest round of talks with trade union leaders regarding salary and wage cuts ended prematurely on Thursday.
Prime Minister John Briceño speaking to reporters“What I find quite pleasing is that the meetings are quite cordial, they are very respectful. Everybody they are putting out their different perspectives as to what it is they wish,” Briceño said.
“Our disappointment is that when we finish the meetings we feel we have an agreement, but whenever they go to the membership, or at least the groups that participate in the meeting, are probably the want that are more worked up and not wanting to settle for what they have been asking and we have been giving to.
“So that part is disappointing. But as I’ve said, we do respect the unions; we do support their right to work. But at the same time as the government we have a responsibility to the rest of the nation to ensure that the country continues to work, that the schools are working, that here can be teachers teaching our children that the hospitals are working, that there are doctors and nurses available.
“These are services that are critical to the development of the country any country. We have not only a legal but a moral responsibility to ensure we continue to offer these services to the Belizean people,” Briceño told reporters adding “I believe that generally Belizeans understand what we are doing. Belizeans understand that we are not acting out of malice. Belizeans understand that there is a financial crisis”.
The public servants and the teachers are at loggerheads with the new John Briceno government that announced plans to cut public officers’ salaries and increments, as well as other cuts to government purchasing in its first budget presentation. The budget was passed in the Senate last Thursday after having gotten the nod from the Upper House earlier.
The government has announced plans to freeze increments and slashing salaries by 10 per cent for three years.
On Thursday, the union leaders said at least nine points were not discussed and that they were sticking to their grounds.
President of the Association of Public Service Management (APSSM) Sharon Frazer, said the government also made “some new proposal.
“Of course, it is kind of hard to speak to that because we need to speak to our members before in fact, we can share that. But there are new proposals on the table. But until it is our members say, yes, yay or nay it will not be fair to speak to that without getting to them first.”
The first vice president of the Public Service Union (PSU). Dean Flowers said ‘we have served the public service notice that we will take legal action where our people are being victimized. And, because of the victimization that is happening with termination and transfers, the talks…almost broke down and that is why we did not get far”.
But he said that the three ministers who were present at the discussions on Thursday were able to “give their commitment that the victimization stops, and it stops now”.
President of the Belize National Union Teachers (BNUT), Elena Smith, told reporters that the unions insisted on putting forward the position of its members that they are not in agreement with the salary cut.
“That was clearly put to the table. They are aware of that. We ended the meeting at that point. They are going back to have their discussions and we will see,” she said, while the President of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) Luke Martinez, said the government ministers who were critical of the labour movement to issue a public apology.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Briceño has said that the indefinite strike by public workers seems not to be having “a major impact” on the country at the moment.
“Belizeans understand that many of them, in fact, thousands of them lost their jobs. Unfortunately, the public service, including the teachers, kept their jobs. They have been getting their salaries. But it has gotten to a point where we just do not have the money.
“We wish we could be paying them and giving them even more. And helping all of those that do not have a job. But the truth is we do not have the money,” he said, noting the last administration of Dean Barrow borrowed over BDZ$700 million (One Belize dollar=US$0.49 cents) to pay salaries, to pay the light bill, electricity and rent.
“We can’t continue doing that. With this new financial year, with the tightening of our belt, and just spending monies where we really need to spend in education and health. But will all of that, the 10 per cent cut that we have already done, because the budget has already been passed, we are still short of almost BDZ$100 million to pay salaries.
“So we are still not collecting enough to be able to pay salaries. And that is what we are trying to tell the Unions, we do not have it and we cannot continue to print money. If we continue to print money, we could have hyper deflation and even a devaluation. We will not allow that to happen,” he said, insisting that his new administration “will not allow that to happen.
“We will do everything to protect the Belizean dollar.”
