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And what's the next direct action for the teachers? Well there's a meeting with the Prime Minister on Thursday to try and find common ground. But the teachers aren't softening up - far from it, they're gathering ammunition to take on their own Ministry of Education. President of the BNTU Luke Palacio told the media what's next:...

Luke Palacio, President - BNTU
"We have written to the Prime Minister asking him to meet with us on Thursday. I don't know if he has given a response because I haven't seen that, but we intend to meet with him on Thursday and then on Friday we will say to our members what our next move is. Since the Prime Minister has responded and asked us to a meeting, we are asking our teachers okay lets us put on hold the original plan we had, so that on Thursday we give that opportunity for the Prime Minister to meet with us, respond to the issues we have raised with him. He has provided some response, but we are prepared again as a professional organization to meet, to discuss and then on Friday we will instruct our members as what's out next move."

Reporter
"In other words back to school tomorrow."

Luke Palacio, President - BNTU
"We have never said we are not going back to school tomorrow. We've said to our teachers you go back to school, on Wednesday you go into the uniform parade, use 'teachers gat you back' shirt and on Thursday and Friday we would have carried out another industrial action, but we are asking that that be placed on hold, simply because we are to respond to the PM in this meeting."

Reporter
"In terms of what you said at the rally this morning about possibly taking the government or the Ministry of Education to court, explained what happened between last week and today that led to that?"

Luke Palacio, President - BNTU
"I don't know if you are living in Belize, but all the efforts that the government has been making, all the efforts that the ministry has been making is an attempt at union busting, which is a violation. So we are going to seek legal advice and if we have to take them to court for union busting we are going to do it."