Teachers Union Declares All or Nothing on Salary Increase

As for the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU), its president has indicated that at this point it is all or nothing.  The president, Nadia Caliz, took to social media this past weekend to explain that there is no moving away from the demand for eight point five percent increase.  Here is a snippet of her 19-minute address.

Nadia Caliz, BNTU President: “Running an ad saying it will cost $100 million dollars for a salary adjustment government knows this is not true. And let’s look at how it started. $13 million dollars for the salary adjustment then you hear $20 million dollars for the salary adjustment then next it’s $40 million dollars for the salary adjustment. Then $60 million dollars for the salary adjustment. Now $100 million dollars for the salary adjustment. The politics that they’re trying to use to distort the pain and suffering of the Belizean people will not work. They can put a video out there with the president naked, they can put a video out there with the president stealing this and stealing that, the movement will not change. The people want to see their 8.5 salary adjustment. And now what I find very disheartening is the fact that unions have an agreement with government where government gives some assistance to unions and unions use those assistance to help advocate. They know we advocate. They know that’s part of our mantra to help advocate and carry out the work of our membership and now they want to use the fact that tax payers money, because it’s tax payer’s money, that is used to assist the unions in certain areas they want to use that like oh we’re greedy and then they want more. Government, GOB, you should be ashamed of yourself.” 

The National Trade Union Congress of Belize will be hosting a press conference tomorrow morning at ten o’clock.