May 3, 2021
Teachers & P.S.U. Picket P.M. Office
Today marks the second week of industrial action by the Belize National Teachers Union and the final day before the Public Service Union begins a strike of its own. As we have been reporting, members of the joint unions are taking industrial action against government’s ten percent salary cut for public officers and three-year increment freeze. The unions are also calling on the government to implement more good governance legislation. At midday today, members of the P.S.U. and B.N.T.U. held a solidarity march in the City of Belmopan. News Five’s Paul Lopez was there.
May, 2021
It is official – Buckingham Palace has approved the appointment of Froyla Tzalam as the next Governor General of Belize. Over the weekend, News Five spoke with Tzalam who was [.]
May 3, 2021
Gerald Henry
As the twenty-one-day industrial action notice from the P.S.U. elapsed today, on Tuesday public officers will not be reporting to work. News Five spoke with P.S.U. President Gerald Henry about the decision to move forward with the strike.
Paul Lopez
“Your members keep the government system up and running; them being out of office for an extended period, is that not of any concern to the union? How does the country function? How does the government function if you guys are out?”
Gerald Henry, President, P.S.U.
“That’s the reason why strike actions are usually the very last actions that you take, being a responsible union. However, we have to take those actions when we realize we are at an impasse and the fact that we have realized that the action of the government, if we leave it as is will actually cause much more harm than we are doing right now and certainly the sacrifice is worth it. So, it is a case of whether you are g
Apr 30, 2021
Strike Action is Imminent!
The Joint Unions Negotiating Team met in a marathon session on Thursday evening to devise a strategy going forward, as public officers are set to commence a strike on May fourth. According to P.S.U. President Gerald Henry, the imminent industrial action will see the operations of some government departments grinding to a halt in the days ahead. He shared with News Five a few details from the lengthy sit-down.
On the Phone: Gerald Henry, President, Public Service Union
“Pretty much what we did was just to meet to formulate the way forward considering the fact that the P.S.U. has already submitted that on Tuesday next week we will officially be on strike.”
Jacqueline Meighan
“Until as long as they decide they will not cut my salary. My salary cut is like somebody whole house rent. I have the right to come out here and advocate for my salary because this is my salary. And I have the right to be out here and defend the salary that I have worked for.”
Gerald Henry, President, Public Service Union
“A continuation of what we have been doing in terms of our industrial action. And we always said that we wanted to maintain a degree of presence and consciousness in terms of what this action is all about. And hence the reason why we continue to engage in these industrial actions.”