BELIZE CITY, Wed. May 12, 2021– During his televised address to the Belizean public on Wednesday, the Prime Minister mentioned that the Joint Unions rejected several proposals tabled by his administration. He went on to list eight proposals that the government plans to offer the unions on Thursday as a part of the negotiations.

While listing the specific offers by government that had not been accepted by the unions, Hon. Briceño said that the unions rejected an offer by government to reduce their work week by 5 hours. He said that they also rejected a land credit offer reportedly equal to 50% of the cumulative adjustment to their salaries.

The Prime Minister went on to say, “Government remains committed to ease the adverse effects of the salary adjustment and increment freeze on affected public officers and teachers.”

He then, in an effort to indicate ways in which the government intends to ease those adverse effects, proceeded to outline a list of initiatives that the government is proposing to roll out, starting with a performance bonus plan. The size of the bonus and, indeed, whether or not the bonus would be paid in any given year, would depend on whether the primary balance target is achieved. If that target is achieved, any funds that exceed that target would be distributed to public workers as a bonus tacked on to their salaries.

The government is also offering National Health Insurance to public officers by the fiscal year 2023/2024. PM Briceño stated, “Government will establish a contributory health insurance scheme for public officers that covers medical, dental and vision care along with an ancillary death benefit. Government will contribute 80% of the insurance premiums, while participating public officers will contribute 20%.”

PM Briceño also noted that the Ministry of Education and BTL reached an agreement to provide a 50% discount on 25GB data packages for teachers.

Also, as previously reported, the Central Bank has told domestic banks and credit unions to extend leniency on residential mortgages held by affected government employees.

A GOB press release states, “Cabinet has approved and a draft bill is being prepared to be tabled to the National Assembly for enactment of the waiver of stamp duties on the assignment of residential mortgages held by public officers and teachers.”

Government has also committed to providing 3-5 million dollars in special facilities to both the National Bank and the Development Finance Corporation for public officials’ and teachers’ residential mortgages.

(It is to be noted that a number of these offers, with the performance bonus and the NHI benefits being exceptions, were previously made to the unions, who found them to be deficient in detail.)

Also, PM Briceño announced a 50% cut to the entertainment and telephone allowances of ministers of government and area representatives. Notably, during an interview last week, Elena Smith, national president of the BNTU, had called for the allowances to Ministers to be taken away. At the time, the Prime Minister had responded by saying that area representatives used those allowances to provide assistance to their constituents.

Nevertheless, during his address, Hon. Briceño stated, “Ministers, Ministers of State and area representatives will be subject to an increased total salary reduction of 15%. Ministers, Ministers of State and CEOs will also surrender 50% of entertainment and telephone allowances. It is understood that heads of department will continue to surrender their allowances as already agreed in fiscal year 2020/2021.”

Lastly, the government has committed to computing the pension benefits of the affected public officers as if the increment freeze had not been implemented.

“It is my sincere hope that our Union Leaders and their members will appreciate and understand that our Government has exhausted every option in an effort to responsibly address the very serious and important issues and concerns raised by them over these past months,” the Prime Minister said at the end of his address.