7 News Belize

Tonight, there is tension at the University of Belize where the administration and the Faculty union are at extreme odds. The source of the discord is that the University has had its subvention cut substantially and must now find a solution to major budgetary shortfalls.

It's a problem with no easy answers, but the faculty and staff insist that they must be heard, while the University President says they've already been given that opportunity and haven't said much of anything.

But they certainly had their say this morning, chanting their frustration as they paraded through the streets of Belmopan and up to the University's door. Cherisse Halsall was in the crowd.

They started out from Belmopan's Assembly Building this morning, a passionate group of 125 professors and University staff protesting what they feel is a lack of transparency on the part of the University of Belize and its President Dr. Clement Sankat.

It continued along the length of the Ring Road

And culminated with a march up University Drive

Where protesters took their stand in the shadow of the University's Administration building.

And this morning we spoke to the leader of the yet to be confirmed union, Dr. Pio Saqui who told us that whatever measures the University might be contemplating will surely impact not just the livelihoods of its faculty but the entire fabric of its academic life.

Dr. Pio Saqui - President UBFSU

"The University Of Belize is going to be impacted and the impact is going to cause a lot of change in the lives of the people that are working at the University principle, but more importantly it's going to have an impact on the services that we deliver for the entire country of Belize. That makes it important for parents for stakeholders for funders for donors to understand that we cannot just walk away from this without demanding that due process is followed and that we are consulted properly as a stakeholder. It is there it is written in law that we have this duty to do this so we are not asking for a favour we're asking, engage us and this is what is important you cannot deny this from us."

Also trying to mitigate the situation is the University's President a man that protesters today called an absentee captain at the head of a sinking ship.

In a letter last night Sankat announced a virtual meeting to be held on Monday Jul 13th in which he pointed out that he has yet to receive any belt tightening recommendations from the UBFSA. Here's how Dr. June Young responded to that claim.

Dr. June Young - Public Communications Officer

"Yes, We have not submitted any recommendations and from the beginning from the first of June we reached out to the president as the union and we said that we know that UB will not be any exception we know that we'll have to come together and decide on the sacrifices that we'll have to make to ensure that this university exists. So, when he called us to a meeting the entire UB community I don't remember the specific date but he shared with us 3 figures that equated to 7.16 million in deficit. He shared that with us and he said please my friends send your recommendations forward. I am waiting for your recommendations. Thereafter the president had a survey. He sent out a survey and a questionnaire and asked the UB community to respond to the survey. Now up to date, we do not know the percentages of the employees who responded to the email but we feel that if the survey was poorly constructed."

The Union maintains that they are fighting for their fundamental rights as employed persons: representation and consultation.

Dr. Pio Saqui

"I expect that the administration of the University, the chairman of the board will understand that we're not trying to break down this university we're trying to build this university and we are trying to find that space where the collaboration can happen so I expect that they will say okay fine we understand you're bargaining agent let us now negotiate and engage as you rightfully should be. We want to see the data, we want to see the finances we want that disclosure to happen and we certainly would like to see that each and every proposal that is made is made in the best interest of the faculty and staff at the University of Belize continued ensuring happens."

Also, there to ensure those interests was BNTU President Elena Smith, a woman known for her experience in agitating for the rights of educators. She told us that the BNTU stands in complete solidarity with the cause.

Elena Smith - President, BNTU

"In terms of the cause we believe that they have a just cause and as employees, whether they are faculty or staff and there are going to be changed to your contract to your service, to your employment then you as employees should be involved in the process and so we feel that the university should include them and should have meaningful discussions with them to be able to some sort of solution has to how they are going to get over the situation that they're currently facing."

Notably, there were not many students present to save a representative from the National student Union but if you're a student or even alumni of the University how does this fight affect you?

Dr. Christopher De Shield - General Secretary of the Union

"I would just appeal to the students to be aware and keep abreast of the situations. They are making their own, the student government has issued their own response and I think that that is exactly right. They need to look at the situation, they should also be demanding transparency, after all it is a public institution and crucially they are the major reason why we're all here. The faculty and staff are providing service. This is a public good education and there are crucial stakeholders here and I believe that they ought to be concerned as to the future of the University and how much input the staff has in guiding this process forward."

It's a process that continues after the end of today's protest which was over by 12:45. Now it's a wait and see until Monday when the President and his board will announce much discussed and much-feared austerity measures necessary for the University's survival.

But whether they'll be accepted or rejected by today's protesters who seemed to be rearing for a fight is still anyone's guess.

Again, UB's President is expected to present recommendations for reducing the University's $7.13 million dollars in cash losses on Monday.