And while the issue of the composition of the Senate Select Committee will be churning for days, there's much bigger news on the horizon. The Belize National Teachers Union has sent the government a stern letter demanding - among other things - that government pay up with their 3% increase as promised. That's the position coming out of a national meeting held on Saturday, September 10th. According to reports, the Teachers have demanded a favorable response by this Friday September 16th, and if they don't get it, they will hold a protest next week, and stage a national sickout next week, forcing the closure of schools.
That's a very hard line - and last week Friday the Prime Minister said he doesn't know how the teachers are contemplating industrial action - and today his Party Whip backed him up:
Rt., Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister of Belize
"They undertook to consult with their membership and then to come back to me with an answer. I can't, for the life of me, fathom how it is that the B.N.T.U. could be talking about industrial action. There is no dispute, there is a proposal which they are to consider and get back to me on, and it is not just the B.N.T.U., [it's] the A.P.S.S.M. and the P.S.U. I would hope again that in the interest of courtesy and mutual respect and a proper partnership that the course that was agreed upon be followed and that the unions come back to me when they have a position and let me know what that position is."
Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP Area Rep., - Mesopotamia
"The teachers want their raise, they don't want their increase to be differed. The PSU and the other group says 'let us defer it.' So two are saying let us defer and one says we don't want to defer. So I think we will have to try to meet with all 3 organizations again so that to come up with some kind of solution or some final answer. Because remember government didn't tell teachers that they will not give them any increase you know. The government is saying with how things stand and so, let us try and see if we could defer this thing. You understand me quite carefully, because I understand that teachers are looking for industrial strike. Industrial strike for what? Government and them doesn't have a dispute. Government didn't say they will not pay them. Government just say given the economic conditions and how things are, I want to ask you to consider if you would defer this increase. It didn't say that it will not give you. So did we get at industrial strike?"
But, as we said it's about more than just a raise of pay for the teachers. Reports say they are also making demands about transparency and accountability in public life - including the findings of the auditor General in her review of the Immigration Department between 2011 and 2013. Today Finnegan rejected that premise:...
Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Sir we understand that the reason is, more than just the adjustment, they have concerns about the integrity of elected officers in public life."
Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP Area Rep., - Mesopotamia
"Elected officers in public life - what about it? What problem they have?"
Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"I think, I haven't seen the letter myself."
Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP Area Rep., - Mesopotamia
"You would have to tell me what problem do they have?"
Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Well, the Auditor General's report..."
Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP Area Rep., - Mesopotamia
"The Auditor General's report, it has not indicted no minister and say this minister thief and this minister run racket and this minister took money off the table. I don't see the Auditor General's report says that a Christ all. The Auditor General's report said that ministers made interventions on behalf of people and she come to a conclusion that it was illegal to do so. Well she will have to show me the law that says that is illegal."
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