NTUCB Backs UB Faculty’s Push for 9% Salary Hike

The National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) has expressed solidarity with the University of Belize Faculty and Staff Union (UBFSU) in their demand for a nine percent salary increase.  NTUCB’s President, Ella Waight, explained that their support stems for a commitment that was made at the last Annual General Meeting where the faculty and staff were promised a salary increase effective April this year.

Ella Waight, President, NTUCB: “I think the University of Belize was trying their very best to reach out to their administration to get this resolved. They have been trying, they have been updating the congress on their progress, little progress, and apparently at this point they are at a deadlock. So this is where we get more involved. The acting president, Sister Pasos has reached out to NTUCB executive and myself for guidance which we have done. We have been helping them with their CBA. We have been helping them with how to network. We have been helping them with how to address these matters with the Government of Belize and their administration. They have written a letter asking for a meeting with the Minister of Education and Minister of Finance and they have asked that the NTUCB president can be, which is myself, can be included in that meeting. And I think that’s a very good approach that they have done. They have tried their very best to get this done with the administration and it has not worked. I was actually there at their AGM in January. I was a guest speaker and it was there that I heard the president announced that they would be getting this 9 % salary adjustment in April. And I was very elated just like the other members there. But we’re at a point now where this should have been done in April. It was not. They were promised that it would be done in August and be retroactive to April and now we’re hearing that they cannot afford it. And we’re also understanding that they want the union to go find that money, which is not a part of their job, then what next do they want? They might as well have the union be the board then, right?  So it doesn’t work that way. It does not work that way. The union can help in cost saving measures,  union can help in any other matter that surrounds, that would improve the university, but not to go find their salary adjustment. 10 years is not, is not responsible to not have a salary adjustment for these lecturers at the UB or the staff at UB. It is not feasible, it is unconscionable that anybody would have a unionized organization, workers, not get a salary adjustment for 10 years. And we stress that something has to be done and we support the of the workers of the university and we support KHMH. NTUCB and its affiliates support these workers and we are there for them in what every act they wish to have now, whichever industrial action, whichever meetings they would want us to be a part of we are there. That is what NTUCB is there for.”

President Waight says they will not buy the excuse that the salary increase is unaffordable.  She noted that they would require seeing that in black and white in order to negotiate.

Ella Waight, President, NTUCB: “If the government would increase the subvention they can afford it. I think that’s the easiest thing for any employer to say, “we can’t afford it”. Then show us the books. Show us what you’re spending on. These new initiatives that the university are coming up with, show us the expenditure for that. Then we can see if we really cannot afford it. But every employer would say that’s the first thing that they think of and it’s so unrealistic, it’s so unfair to just say we can’t afford it. Then show us the numbers. But they should find out how they can move forward. Yes we understand that 9 % is a, yes, we can say is a, is hold on…. they must be able to find out where they can get this 9%. And I’m sure that the workers of the university can assist, but you cannot tell the workers of the university to go find that, that is not their job. 9 % is not an unrealistic number. After 10 years, I would be asking for more but I’m so happy that the lectures of UB and staff are finally saying enough of the promises and we are ready to take action if needs be. Hear us, listen to us and respect us and we appreciate the way forward and we support the members of the university.”

In a release issued yesterday by the UBSFU, they were demanding a meeting for tomorrow with the Minister of Education and others.  We are yet to confirm if that meeting will happen./