“Raise the minimum wage” demonstration underway in Belize City

By BBN Staff: The Belize Leaders for Social Justice (BLSJ), a community advocacy group, is calling on the Government of Belize to raise the.minimum wage, through a public demonstration in Belize City this morning.

The organization is gathering in the Constitution Park of Cemetery Road, and will march to Orange Street, Albert Street, King Street, and Regent Street, ending at the Battlefield Park.

Moses Sulph, of the BLSJ, explained that with the increasing cost of living, including gas prices at almost $10 a gallon, people need an increase from $3.30 and hour in order to survive.

Sulph said that minimum wage needs to be upwards of $6.00 an hour, in order for Belizeans to earn a decent living, but conceded that the protest alone will not move the hand of the.government.

“People want change, but they think it’s going to happen at the stroke of a pen,” Sulph said. “They need to realize that it’s by uniting and showing the government that they want these things, that will make the difference.”

The Belize Progressive Party, Belize Territorial Volunteers and Days of Healing committee, have all joined in to support the demonstration.