4 weeks ago
6
The Public Service Union (PSU) delivered their notice of strike action this morning to the Ministry of Labour in Belmopan. PSU President Dean Flowers was flanked by close to three dozen supporters as they walked to the ministry to personally deliver the letter. The PSU made a public announcement yesterday that it would be submitting its declaration of a trade dispute today, essentially invoking Section 11 of the Settlement of Disputes in Essential Services Act. Love News was with the PSU this morning as they gathered to accompany Flowers in making the delivery.
Dean Flowers, President, PSU: “But when you’re dealing with a neoliberal government, a government that is capital driven, a government that reduces public sector workers to $5 an hour, a government that believes that when they do raise it to $6 we’re supposed to holler hooray. When in fact none of them can survive on those salaries. A government that is investing millions of dollars as we speak in vehicles, they came into power and said we’re not spending no lot of money on vehicle now they have luxury F15 pickup, luxury Tacomas, the neighbors behind me just got about three brand new vehicles. I know the Honorable Florencio Marin will write back to us in short order and we will share that again with the general membership and the general membership will decide. That is how this union operates, based on the mandate of the general membership and like I said it is now our intention to create any damage to this society, any harm to any citizen, any harm to any government property but what we will do we will stand for justice. We’re not here to bring down any government, we’re not here to push any political card we’re here to defend livelihoods and dignity and our pension. We will fight for that. We will have a serious fight. We can’t come here on our own. The membership has to direct us so the vote was put out on Saturday morning and it was closed on Sunday evening and the mandate was clear similar to the previous mandate that this is what the membership wants and that’s why you see these members out here today because they casted their vote and they said we are ready because we will not accept what is being given to us. So that’s really the story behind the mandate.”
Flowers explained to Love News that the strike follows a mandate from its membership. This past weekend, a vote was taken on whether the PSU would accept the second offer from the government, and whether the union should implement strike action. According to Flowers, 94.35% rejected the Government’s offer and 91.94% voted in support of declaring a trade dispute effective.
Dean Flowers, President, PSU: “We can’t come here on our own, the membership has to direct us so the vote was put out on Saturday morning and it was closed on Sunday evening and the mandate was clear similar to the previous mandate that this is what the membership wants and that’s why you see these members out here today because they casted their vote and they said we are ready because we will not accept what is being given to us. So that’s really the story behind the mandate.”
Love News understands that the PSU has made a request as per Regulation 173 of the Public Service Regulations, whereby, Heads of Departments grant time- off with full pay for union activities where feasible.
English (US) ·