PSU Serves Government 21-Day Notice of Industrial Action Over SARA Dispute

The Public Service Union is expressing its discontent with the government’s lack of response regarding the matter of the Belize Tax Services’ involuntary transformation into a statutory body; The Semi-Autonomous Revenue Agency or (SARA). Today, the President of the Union, Dean Flowers, was given the mandate by his members to serve the Government of Belize with a 21-day notice of Industrial Action. 

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union: “Following our multiple communication with the Government of Belize, the Public Service Union of Belize held another in its series of meetings to try to sensitize our general membership and to also dialogue with our members of the Belize Tax Services Department last night. We convened to address several matters; that being one of the priority matters. The outcome of that meeting resulted in the membership deciding that the Public Service Union is to serve the Minister of Labor with a 21 days notice for industrial action. And so that is exactly where we are. The Minister of Labor is expecting to get that notice of 21 days advising him that there is an impasse with the Government of Belize who continue to behave in a very autocratic, non-responsive, and utterly disrespectful manner, thinking that the Belize Tax Services is their private, their private business, rather than a public entity.”

Flowers continued by stating that the members of the PSU are seeking security for their tenure, and are hopeful that if the inevitable occurs, SARA will be a success. He also mentioned that guidelines such as security of tenure and employee relations among others were carefully placed on record after multiple consultations with members.

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union: “The officers have carefully expressed themselves. We’ve taken their concerns; we’ve put together  a position paper. We’ve said to the Government of Belize, these are the concerns of these officers and these are the things that you need to address before you go once again and convert a government department into a statutory body, much to the detriment of Belize because that is the legacy. That is the legacy of statutory bodies in Belize. You can look all around and you will see that 80% of the statutory bodies in Belize are failing, they’re not efficient, and they continue to be subsidized and they are sure as hell not accountable. None of them outside of, I believe, Social Security openly and publicly publishes its financial statements and has oversight mechanisms in place that ensure that there is at least a semblance of accountability and transparency.”

The PSU is now at an impasse with GOB and is awaiting their response.