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The teachers are ready to rumble, and today they put their teachers on notice. The union says it has a mandate of industrial action from its members and sent out a memo today urging them to wear their green t-shirts as part of an event called “Stand Up for Belize: Solidarity Standâ€￾.  And that’s only a warm up for Monday when there will be a National Demonstration and Rally in Belmopan.
 Now all this stems from a letter the Union has written to the Prime Minister demanding good governance.  It contains 8 demands which the union, quote, “believes will ensure at the very least, that systems will be put in place to cultivate this good governance.â€￾  The union has given the PM until Friday to respond favourably to their letter and, quote, “in the absence of this response the Union intends to proceed with…industrial action.â€￾ But even if the PM does respond favourably, the union is going ahead with the protest on Monday.  And if they don’t get the response they want, the union says it has, quote, “planned a schedule of further Industrial Actions that our Union will not hesitate to engage in, post Monday but we await the PM’s response to signal activation.â€￾
 What does that mean for your child’s schooling? Â Well that’s what the Minister of Education asked the teachers to consider today. He called a press briefing to appeal to the teachers not to take any strike action because there is no dispute, and that the Government is already addressing the issues raised, with significant actions.

Hon. Patrick Faber - Deputy Prime Minister
"We have been hearing in fact that there are plans to have a rally to also possibly get to strike action which as I understand it should only come if there is some kind of labour dispute with the teachers. And I was told of a flyer although I confess I have not seen the flyer where the teachers have put out and says basically this is not about the 3% it is about all the other issues. Well the truth is the closest they can come to getting the issue of a labour dispute is that 3%, so if it is not about the 3% then it certainly is not about labour it is about these other points that they have put in the stand up for Belize campaign that they are saying they're going to continue on. The prime minister has subsequently written back to the BNTU."

"I believe that Mr. Palacio is politically motivated, I make no apologies for that. This man has been an operative of the PUP, has offered himself for candidacy for the PUP and it is what it is and that is why my appeal is not to him; my appeal is to the right thinking teachers out there who know that in fact there is no labour dispute afoot here and can also look at the facts. As you will see the prime minister outlined in his letter responding to the 8 points that the BNTU put forward; that these things are being addressed, it’s not to say that we must all be happy, it’s not to say that everything is right in the government. There are elements that we are not proud of and that in fact need be addressed but there is movement to address those issues. Every single aspect I think that they've raised in this letter to the prime minister, the prime minister is able to write back and to tell you of some movement that is going on to address the issue. So again my appeal is to the teachers and those teachers in fact who genuinely care about the students. My goodness this is the first month of school, the first two weeks of school and we already know of the many many distractions that come with the month of September it being such a festive month. To be calling off other days especially in the first week which we didn't agree with and please I don't want anybody to run away with the wrong impression; the government has no interest in threatening. The government in fact especially my ministry we wish to work amicably with the unions, the BNTU in particular."

So, we’ve gotten a look at that letter from the Prime Minister which Deputy Prime Minister Faber was referencing. Barrow has responded saying that each of their demands requires a more extensive explanation, which is better done in person, and that he is prepared to meet with the BNTU’s Council of Management.

Their first demand was that the Government agrees to the appointment of the Senate Select Committee. As you would remember, the Government did that at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting. The BNTU also asked for Godwin Hulse to be removed as the Minister of Police, which the Prime Minister says he cannot do because he has done nothing wrong in that Ministry, or in any other ministerial capacity. The Prime Minister assures the union that Godwin Hulse enjoys his full confidence. The second demand from the teachers is that an international investigation be conducted into the beheading of Pastor Llewelyn Lucas. The Prime Minister responds that they will need to clarify if they want an international investigation into the murder itself, or “apparent connection between sitting Government Ministers and Danny Mason,â€￾ the man accused of masterminding that murder.
On demand number 3, the Prime Minister does not give any explanation, but he says that this issue is moot since it has already been agreed.

The 4th demand is that the Government appoint an Integrity Commission. We’ve already showed you the Prime Minister’s position on why that commission is not appointed. That’s because there is no chartered accountant who is willing to serve, due to the fact that he will be given the designation of a “politically exposed personâ€￾, and the personal affairs of that accountant and his family will be subject to invasive scrutiny. The Prime Minister reminds the BNTU that the Chamber is locked in an exercise to try to get around that problem. The BNTU has also demanded that the Public Accounts Committee be reactivated to investigate public spending. Here the Prime Minister assures them that the PAC has been doing its job, and is properly appointed under the House Standing Orders. Deputy Prime Minister Faber told us that as soon as Julius Espat calls another meeting, the UDP members will be willing and ready to serve.

The other 4 demands appear to be related to the salary adjustment negotiations, and the Prime Minister responds saying that the course of action being followed is what was agreed to by the BNTU, the Public Service Union, and the Association of Public Service Senior Managers. 

The BNTU President has called a press conference in Corozal tomorrow, and we’ll tell you about what their response is, and we’ll give the president an opportunity to respond to Faber’s accusation that their strike action is politically motivated.