Today, at the Biltmore Plaza Hotel, Prime Minister Dean Barrow spent almost the entire day in meetings with 6 different trade unions. This comes after the announcement from the Belize National Teachers Union that they will demonstrate on Monday. Today the PM conceded that he is seeking to put out fires before they merge into one concentrated effort to pressure his Government.
He met first with the light, water and telecommunications unions, which we'll tell you about shortly, but first we report on his afternoon meeting. That conversation was with representatives from the Joint Unions Negotiating Team. The Public Service Union and the Association of Public Service Senior Managers are willing to accede to the Prime Minister's request to defer the third tranche of their salary adjustment until next year. The BNTU isn't, and so, the Prime Minister, the Financial Secretary, and the Labour Commissioner all met with the unions to find out if a compromise can be reached.
We spoke with the Prime Minister before and after the one and a half hour session, and here's what he had to say:
Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Can any common be found in your mind?"
Rt., Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister of Belize
"I don't know. That's what the meeting this afternoon is about. Again it's a cute situation isn't it? They have, the 3 of them, always negotiated on block as 1 group comprised of 3 constituent elements. Indeed, I saw something yesterday where the president of the BNTU seems to be saying well it doesn't really matter what the other 2 say, that BNTU is separate entity. Well with respect that doesn't help the situation. We know that each of the 3 unions is separate body, but for purposes of negotiating working conditions, salary matters with government, they always acted as one. I don't know if the BNTU is trying to put that asunder. I will suspend judgement and in terms of what ultimately emerges from this afternoon's meeting clearly we just have to wait and see."
Reporter
"Can you being us up to speed with the outcome of the second meeting that you had this time around with the BNTU and the other unions represented?"
Rt., Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister of Belize
"It was useful, I think it was constructive. There is a proposal government has offered as a way of trying to break the stalemate, where 2 unions have voted one way and the BNTU is voted the next. The BNTU has promise to take that proposal back to its membership and give us a response as soon as they been able to consult and that's where things now are."
Luke Palacio, National President, B.N.T.U.
"We've met with the Prime Minister, we've discuss the matter of the positions of our union as it relates to the deferral of salary adjustment. We now go back to our respective councils of management to discuss the matters that were presented this evening."
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