Members of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority Workers Union (KHMHAWU) marched through the streets of Belize City; the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) showed solidarity.
by Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Fri. May 30, 2025
Members of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority Workers Union (KHMHAWU), who are pleading for their pension from the Government of Belize, activated Level 1 of their industrial action by marching through the streets of Belize City on Friday, May 30.
“This started about two years ago, when we began to lobby the Government of Belize for our pension. There’s a group of about 300 people who have worked pensionable service from 2000 up to 2017, before the provident fund, which is our retirement benefit, which started in 2018; but the years of service from 2000 to 2017 are what we are asking for,” said Andrew Baird, President of the KHMHAWU.
“There are people who have about 20 years and are about to retire, and they will go home with nothing. We are asking the government to come back to the table and continue the dialogue so that the employees of the KHMH will go home with peace of mind … If there’s no pension, all they take home is severance, and that’s a pittance of what they value. We are the frontline workers for this nation; when it comes to medical service, we’re the national referral hospital for the country of Belize,” Baird added.
In February of this year, the KHMHAWU held a short demonstration on the issue, and when they met with the government side, which comprises the Financial Security (FinSec), Joseph Waight; Minister of Health, Hon. Kevin Bernard; CEO of the KHMH, Chandra Cansino; and Chairman of the KHMH, Martin Marshalleck, it was described as “amicable”.
“The last meeting we had was February 17, and a template should have been drafted, done by the CEO of Karl Heusner, presented to the FinSec, but nothing was done. The template was supposed to be used to determine the value of each worker, and whether some of the workers qualify for the pension or it be compensation,” Baird said.
Since then, the Government of Belize has remained silent on the issue, thus angering the union, and forcing them to write a letter to CEO Cansino, giving notice of industrial action. However, the Labor Commissioner (LC), Rissela Dominguez-Patt, advised the KHMHAWU to be careful to follow the procedures under the Settlement of Disputes in the Essential Services Act, which includes waiting 21 days before taking action, so they don’t break the law.
Nadia Caliz, President of BNTU and Andrew Baird, President of KHMHWAU
“First of all, Section 11.1: if you have a dispute, you may report it to the Minister of Labor; and as far as the other section of strike, the meaning of strike is interpreted in the Act, stated: ‘cessation of work’; the last time I checked, it means to stop work. I don’t see how a demonstration is meant to stop work. I don’t see how your go-slow means you stop work completely; so, I beg to differ with the LC, and we are guided by our legal team,” Baird mentioned.
KHMHAWU members departed from the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital on Princess Margert Drive, then marched toward Central American Boulevard and made a U-turn at the roundabout joining Mahogany Street and making their way back to Karl Heusner.
Members of the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) and the Public Service Union (PSU) were in attendance, showing solidarity during the protest.
“If you notice, people need to express how they feel. Sadly, we have to come to this before the political electorates and directorates understand that we can do this in another form … You find people just stepping into a new regime, and then later on you find out that you no longer have a pension, you no longer have this, and you no longer have that. Governments need to discontinue this; and when I say governments, red and blue does the same thing to us as workers; and it needs to stop,” said Nadia Caliz, President of BNTU.
Baird highlighted that the union has received a letter from the Health Minister to resume the dialogue on June 5.