20,000 Public Officers and Teachers to Get 4.5 Percent Salary Increase October 1

Come October 1, some 20,000 Belizeans among them teachers, public officers and pensioners will see a much-needed salary adjustment of 4 ½ %, the first tranche of a larger 8 ½% package negotiated between the government and the Association of Public Service Senior Managers and the Belize National Teacher’s Union; known as the joint unions.

In an interview with LOVE News PSU President, Dean Flowers thanked the government for making good on its promise.

Dean Flowers, President, PSU: “For a salary adjustment of 4.5%. So that is essentially what public officers, pensioners, teachers, police officers, BDF soldiers, Coast Guard Offices, all public sector workers can expect. I think what is also gratifying of this round of negotiation is that even those persons who may have been earning the minimum wage of $5 and hour even they will get that salary adjustment and so effectively in some way, in some shape, form or the other the minimum wage in the public sector will be slightly adjusted with that increase of that 4.5%. So we’re very grateful of course to the membership first and foremost who stood behind the joint unions to ensure that our cry for justice, for equal treatment to ensure that we live a life of dignity was heard and we were prepared to go all the way. I’m glad that it didn’t require us to bring work to a screeching halt.But this is what we do as unions. We listen to the cry of members and we carry out their mandate. We believe, and I want to state that this was both birthed solely out of an unconscionable act by the John Briceño administration to reward a set of Chief Executive Officers to be more specific and the Cabinet Secretary what was an unjustified and clearly not proper, not morally correct and as I said earlier unconscionable adjustment that was grated to them to the tune of almost 20%.”

Flowers added that the 103-year-old PSU will not rest on its laurels because of this adjustment but will continue to advocate for among other issues; good governance and an improved public service which will bring about a better Belize for all its citizens.