_{BNTU President Nadia Caliz, to Govt – pay up or Strike}

by William Ysaguirre (Freelance Writer)

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. May 15, 2025

Yesterday, the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) issued a 21-day notice of strike action to the Government of Belize, one day after a joint union negotiating team, that included the Public Service Union, had sat down to negotiations to work out how the teachers and public officers could receive the 8.5 percent wage increase they are demanding.

It was less than a week ago, on Friday, May 9, at the inaugural meeting of the House of Representatives for the newly re-elected PUP Administration, that the largest union in Belize, the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU), along with support from some members of the Public Service Union, made their presence felt in a peaceful 3,000 strong demonstration in Belmopan to voice their demand for an 8.5% salary increase as well as their long overdue salary increments and allowances. For security purposes, police had maintained a 200-meter perimeter from the House meeting for the demonstrators, who had to confine their path to the Ring Road. But their message was clear. Whatever forbearance the teachers had been quietly exercising for months had apparently been overwhelmed by the recent revelation of substantial pay and allowance increases for the already well remunerated Government CEOs and the Cabinet Secretary; and the teachers’ patience had run out.  The relative impact on the national budget, an increase of $300,000 for the CEOs raises, versus some $63 million to accommodate the teachers’ increments, was the P.M.’s explanation of the difficulty in meeting the teachers’ demands. But the genie was already out of the bottle, it seems. Their stated course of action would be in 3 phases, starting with the demonstration, then would be a two-day national shutdown, and finally a full-blown national strike, if their demands were not met to their satisfaction.

With the demonstration phase completed last Friday, earnest negotiations began on Tuesday of this week between union and government representatives, and while the initial reports indicated some progress was achieved with a piecemeal offer from GoB, the later reaction from union membership was a wake-up call, as they not only rejected the offer, but sent a strong message of defiance and resolve to GoB the following day in the form of strike notice.     

The wage talks at the Government House lasted over 4 hours until dusk on Tuesday, May 13, and both Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Cordel Hyde and Minister of Education Hon. Oscar Requeña were cautiously optimistic that they would work out a solution when they left the meeting after 6 o’clock. They said the union representatives were very cordial and respectful, and that the unions had put forward a proposal that they thought was well received.

Minister Requeña acknowledged the teachers’ and unions’ concerns about the inflationary impact that external forces have had on the cost of living in Belize, and their sense of urgency to receive the pay increments and allowances that the teachers say they have earned and which are long overdue.

Minister Hyde also felt they “had a very constructive meeting … and discussed the issues at length.” He believed they had “reached some level of over-standing.” He said they would partner with the unions in a team effort, to work out a win-win solution for all concerned.

_{PSU president, Dean Flowers}

PSU president Dean Flowers was also optimistic that an agreement could be reached. They had presented a proposal to the Cabinet sub-committee outlining how their wage demands could be achieved, and the Ministers left with a commitment to submit the unions’ proposal to Cabinet, and for Cabinet to respond by next Tuesday, May 21.

The Cabinet sub-committee in the negotiations had also presented a compromise solution to the union, which consisted of a gradual pay increase of 3 percent per year for the next 3 years, which the unions agreed to take back to their members so that it could be put to a vote.

However, with the issuance of its 21-day strike notice, the BNTU has torn off the velvet glove and thrown down the steel gauntlet, indicating that they are in no mood to be dallied with. They have put the government under advisement that they are setting a 21-day timeline for a collective bargaining agreement to be worked out which will be acceptable to their members.

The Prime Minister, Hon. John Briceño, had already clearly outlined that the government will spend $698 million on salaries and pensions this year, which will constitute 56 percent of total recurrent spending. This will be 10 percent or $63 million more than what it expended on salaries and pensions last year. He also announced that the 8.5 percent increase the unions were asking for, would cost another $63 million that would have to be added to the budget.

BNTU president Nadia Caliz was noncommittal about the government’s proposal after Tuesday’s talks, saying only that she would need to present it to the BNTU membership first. She had also indicated to the Cabinet ministers that the union members had given her a mandate for a strike. 

But all is not lost.  Our sources say the tone of membership feedback in the BNTU is that they are in no mood to be appeased with piecemeal promises and kind words. They are demanding meaningful action, and their vote for strike notice is by way of sending a strong message to GoB, that a satisfactory deal must be struck between now and the 21-day deadline, or their strike action will take effect.

These are tough economic times, and the onus is on Government, having raised the ire of patient and aggrieved teachers and public servants with the handsome raise given to their CEOs, to now find a way to give the teachers “theirs” before the June 4 strike deadline.