Posted: Saturday, April 8, 2017. 9:11 am CST.
By BBN Staff: The Belize National Teachers Union, the Christian Workers Union and the Chamber of Commerce and industry have publicly denounced the decision made by government and the Minister of Education, Patrick Faber to set aside $1 million to compensate teachers who remained in school when the BNTU carried out its 12 day industrial action in October last year.
The umbrella organization NTUCB issued yesterday a “somber, serious and emphatic warning “to the government and said that it can be described as a very poorly conceived decision to pay an “honorarium” to a select few; among the teaching professionals in Belize.
“There is absolutely no way, under the principles of equity and fairness, that the NTUCB could ever support such a decision,” the NTUCB said in the release.
According to the NTUCB, as responsible citizens they cannot reconcile how on one hand, the Government of Belize, has called for “austerity” measures from the wider community, while on the other, it has declared its resolute decision to spend this one million dollars.
“To further compound the matter, this Congress, in like vein, finds the justification given for dispensing these funds, to be utterly deplorable! Compensating a worker for not standing in solidarity with his/her Union, can undoubtedly, only be viewed as a well-orchestrated form of “union busting”, the NTUCB said.
The NTUCB also stated that it cannot remain as quiet spectators as this honorarium is paid to the population of teachers, who decided to go to work as normal; whilst other teachers were out on strike, in full support with their Union, cannot be countenanced.
“The NTUCB cannot and will not watch the seeds of union busting being planted and nurtured! Not now, NOT EVER.”
The NTUCB is confident that their Congress can list one million more efficient ways how one million dollars can be well spent!
“There are countless areas that are in dire need of resources. Assigning funds to these areas could positively impact the lives of most, if not all, the hard-working Belizean men and women,” the NTUCB further lamented in the release.
The release ends by saying, “It is for the aforementioned reasons, and many others that the NTUCB calls on the principals of the Government of Belize; to act responsibly and very seriously reconsider this decision. We also call on all Trade Unionists countrywide to closely follow the unfolding events in relation to this situation; as it has huge potential to negatively impact the Trade Union Movement in Belize.”
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