Sharon Frazer
“Well the situation is that he is the Minister of Finance. Let us start right there. He is in fact the controller of the public persona. He is the person we feel that, not that I am discrediting any of those four ministers who have met with us as we always said our meetings have been respectful, they have been cordial, they have been understanding, that is there. But one must understand that we have to go back to each of us has to go back to who we are representing. But at the end of the day, I’ve said, if I am the owner of a business and there are things happening in my business, I need to make myself available to see what the persons in that business are saying and how it is that I can correct it. It is not me who said I will meet with the union people; the Prime Minister said that in a past interview that they had with him. He will sit down with the unions. I am not saying, I don’t feel at all offended that he has not come. I just find it strange that with
May 10, 2021
Unions Reject Land Credit and Mortgage Proposals; Talks to Continue Thursday
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 stand currently? And, how possible is it that strike actions will conclude by weekend? Union leaders were on Open Your Eyes Morning Show today. News Five’s Paul Lopez files the following report.
Paul Lopez
st Vice President, P.S.U.
“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 this morning almost broke down and that is why we did not get far. And I want to be clear on that. The talks this morning almost broke down, because of the nonsense that was on tv last night whereby people were being threatened. I am pleased to report that under the good leadership of the three ministers there today we were able to get their commitment that the victimization stops, and it stops now…”
May 5, 2021
Sharon Frazer
While teachers are waiting to see if their pay slips will reflect that salary deduction, on a similar front the Joint Unions are fighting to regain the ten percent salary cut for teachers and public officers, reflected in the 2021/2022 budget. According to President of the A.P.S.S.M., Sharon Frazer, while the Bill has been passed by the upper house, the decision is reversible. President Frazer explained how a supplementary revenue allocation bill can cover the budgetary shortfalls and make up for the ten percent.
Sharon Frazer, President, A.P.S.S.M.
“In the end, the last letter that came to us was to tell us that the minister of public service was going to advise the governor general to cut salaries 12,000 and above, above 12,000 ten percent. So I want to get that straight, ten percent across the board.”
May 4, 2021
Unions Gather Outside House of Culture
While members were out in the streets protesting, their leaders were behind closed doors preparing for a mid-afternoon meeting with government representatives. That meeting began at one-thirty p.m. inside the House of Culture Compound in Belize City. News Five’s Paul Lopez was there and files the following report.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
This afternoon, the symbol of Union Solidarity was marked by Union Leaders joining hands at the House of Culture’s gates. A mass of union members cheered on their leaders who were moments away from entering the negotiation room with government officials. Union leaders held a meeting of their own to strategize.