Teachers Union Demands Action Over Months of Unpaid Salaries and Unexplained Deductions

Last week, Nadia Caliz, President of the Belize National Teachers Union, called out the Government of Belize for salaries owed to some teachers dating back to June of this year. The Union has also placed on record the unjust practice of unwarranted deduction of large sums of money from teachers labelled as “miscellaneous deductions” on their pay slips. With no clear answer regarding the practice, she chided the Government yesterday during another live Facebook presentation. 

Nadia Caliz, President, BNTU: “The issue that I brought out publicly is the fact that for months now, teachers have been complaining about a miscellaneous deduction more last month than ever because there were huge chunks being deducted. What is miscellaneous? Nobody could have explained what it was. Now, as the leader of this union, I am hearing for the first time because the CEO sent a letter over the weekend, I shared it with my council this morning, I wanted some clarity on what was there. And so I said, let me ask my questions first before I say anything. I never got the opportunity to do that today until tonight I’m seeing this nonsense about teachers being given an advance in December and that they should have expected to repay it or stuff like that. I don’t know where my dear minister got his facts from because I am shocked. I’m irritated as a matter of fact. For us now, nationally, globally to be exact, to be told that your increment, your outstanding allowances was an advance. When the minister, our ministers of government, there’s a reason I’m not calling any name right now, you know, came out and said the teachers would be given the increment before the 31st of December.”

Caliz has pleaded with union members to join the cause of reporting any unpaid funds and unjust deductions by the Government of Belize. The call comes with Caliz seeking tangible proof that can be used to take the matter to court. Jarey Lizette Bejerano, teacher at St. Benedict RC Primary School in Punta Gorda Town, has answered the call with what she calls the “feel good to feel bad” disguise of a miscellaneous deduction. Bejerano spoke exclusively to Love News on the matter.

Jarey Lizette Bejerano, Teacher, St. Benedict RC Primary School: “Let’s talk about October 1st, at the most recent pay slip. At the end of October, I noticed like I mentioned earlier, a back pay of $1,200. As a result of that back pay, I believe that they gave it’s like a feel-good to feel-bad situation. They gave me a back pay of $1,200 and out of that $1,200, they deducted $662 as a miscellaneous deduction. So miscellaneous is the other deductions and what other deductions they’re talking about I’m not sure. Alright and then as a result of the $1,200 back pay a a retro pay now I noticed that they doubled my taxes, they doubled my the income tax rate was doubled right. The income tax that I normally pay is 300 something and this time around it came at $740.40.”