Dean Flowers Says Transfers Must Not Be Used as Punishment

In related news, PSU President Dean Flowers is now calling on the Government to take a firmer stance against what he describes as the long-standing misuse of transfers within the public service.  In a follow-up to the Public Service Union of Belize’s support for the one-year suspension of transfers, Flowers is urging authorities to put an end to the practice of using transfers as a form of punishment against public officers.  According to the PSU’s official press release, the union has observed a recurring pattern where some ministries and departments use transfers not for operational needs, but to victimize, intimidate, or marginalize officers, contrary to established regulations.  The union pointed out that under Regulation 96 of the Public Service Regulations, transfers are to be carried out strictly in the interest of the service, and not as a substitute for disciplinary action.

Dean Flowers, President, PSU: “We had to remind the government that it is not lost on us that successive governments have utilized transfers as a punitive measure to victimize or to punish public officers. I took over the presidency in 2021 and the number of objections that has come to my desk primarily in 2021, 2022, 2023 and perhaps even in 2024 there was little justifications for these transfers. The Public Service Commission needs to be called out on this because they vetoed these things through the delegation of authority to the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Public Service who seems to, respectfully I will say, seems to have a difficulty doing the right thing and correcting his colleagues when it is clear and obvious that these transfers are vindictive. And it is not only the Ministry of Health , we see it in the Ministry of Finance. We see it in the police department. We see it across departments whereby there is no real benefit to be gained by the public with these transfers. It is merely done to punish people and to victimize people, sadly at the detriment of the public because then it costs the public money, there is no improvement in quality public service and there is no personal development for the public offers. So I am glad that for one year at least certain CEOs and I may even add a few HODs will not get the satisfaction that they enjoy annually to go after those public officers they cannot speak down to or who they cannot instruct in the manner in which they would want to instruct them to carry out instructions that might not be in the best interest of the Belizean public.”

Flowers says the union has long taken issue with what it considers an abuse of authority and believes the current freeze on transfers provides an opportunity for the Government to correct the practice once and for all.  The PSU maintains that punitive transfers have not only disrupted families but have also undermined morale and efficiency across the public service, while placing unnecessary financial strain on the state.  In its statement, the union is now calling on the Ministry of the Public Service to closely monitor the implementation of the circular and to take concrete steps to permanently curb the misuse of transfers as a tool of reprisal.  The PSU adds that ministries should instead use this one-year period to engage in proper workforce planning and to address personnel matters in a manner that is lawful, transparent, and fair.