Teachers Keep Up Pressure with Protests Before and During School Hours

As part of its ongoing efforts for an 8.5 percent salary increase from the government, the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) is sharing information about its cause with the public. While teachers returned to classes today following yesterday’s national sick-out, they kept the momentum by picketing before class time and during their lunch breaks. Teachers are also speaking with parents and members of the public about the importance of standing their ground on their demands. While National BNTU President Nadia Caliz has still not responded to our calls, the secretary of the BNTU’s Stann Creek Branch, Ifásínà Efunyemi, explained that getting the message out to the public is a key part of the union’s action plan. 

Ifásínà funyemi. Secretary, BNTU, Stann Creek Branch: “We’re going to be doing a series of activities to raise awareness in our communities. We want the public to be aware of this struggle that we are engaged in, that it is not a struggle that is unique to teachers. It is not merely the teacher’s struggle. It is Belizeans’ struggle. We are all facing this very high cost of living and inflation. This low buying power, we are all suffering as a result of that, and it is totally unfair that Government officials are able to enjoy a very lavish lifestyle at all of the rest of us, all of our expense. We cannot stand for that. And so we are speaking for our parents, our students, our community, the businesses, the economy of this country, all the people that we support. There will be classes, yes, there will be classes. But we will be engaged in education of the community while we are going to work.”

The teachers have rejected the government’s offer of a 3 percent to take effect in October and an unfrozen increment next year, saying that they want the full 8.5 percent up front. On May 14, the BNTU served government with a 21-day notice of intended strike action. While the clock is ticking, Prime Minister John Briceno addressed the issue during yesterday’s budget debate, saying that government simply does not have the finances to give them the increase they want at this time.