BELIZE CITY, Wed. May 5, 2021– The tripartite union team has released a list of eleven demands to the Government of Belize to lay out what steps would have to be taken by GOB in order for them to back down from the current, ongoing strike action. The parties met in a marathon session on Tuesday evening, the first since the breakdown of negotiations between them and the fast-tracking of the 10% salary cuts. The joint release was published before that meeting.
The first of the 11 points laid out by the unions calls for the implementation of the United Nations Convention on Anti-Corruption (UNCAC). The unions are asking for a written commitment from the government for its implementation and “constitutional protection against its removal.”
They are also echoing their call for the drafting and ultimate enactment of four pieces of legislation: the Asset Recovery and Disposal Act, Whistle-Blowers Action, Illicit Enrichment Act, and a Campaign Financing Act.
Secondly, the unions are asking the GoB to continue dialoguing with the Joint Unions regarding the salary cuts. While the Government has reiterated its position to proceed with the 10% reduction in salaries, the unions want it back on the table as a matter subject to possible reversal.
While being interviewed by the media, the president of the Association of Public Service Senior Managers (APSSM), Sharon Fraser, expressed her view that the passing of the budget in the Senate is not the end of the road for the salary cuts. She said the Government can also pass a Supplementary Allocation Bill to fill the shortfall in the budget.
The unions are also demanding that the ministers of government “relinquish allowances such as Telephone ($1,000.00), Vehicle Maintenance ($1,350.00), Entertainment and Housing ($1,000.00).”
The Joint Unions are also asking for the formation of a tripartite social partnership agreement inclusive of the Government of Belize, the private sector, and the NTUCB. “This should be legally constructed and recognized to coordinate the adoption of reform strategies, relative (inclusive of economic) policies, and ensure the inclusion of an effective monitoring mechanism at six-month intervals,” stated their list of points.
The enforcement of an “aggressive tax collection exercise” is first on the list of demands from the unions. They are calling for tax reform and the strengthening of the relevant tax departments.
This is closely tied to the sixth point: “removal of Ministerial discretion from tax, land, and labor-related issues, as well as placing a moratorium on tax exemptions granted by the Ministry of Finance and public declaration exemptions that have been granted.”
The seventh demand calls for the implementation of policies regarding imports, and, in line with this demand, the unions are specifically requesting the formation of monitoring mechanisms to control the foreign reserves in order to maintain the rate of foreign exchange.
The eighth demand is for a rationalization of the public sector, and the compendium of allowances and the related perks.
The unions are also calling for the development and enactment of legislation for the private sector to “transition to the Point of Sale System,” and stated in their list of points that a specific date of enforcement should be designated.
The tenth point is a call by the union for an audit of the “community Votes and Petro Caribe Funds.”
And lastly, the Joint Unions are calling for the introduction and enforcement of consumer protection laws and regulations, with sufficient resources provided for monitoring.
Most, if not all, of these eleven points were tabled during negotiations on Tuesday.