On Saturday about 3 dozen of them staged an impromptu protest, demanding that government pay them a pension for what they say is 17 years of service without a pension plan. As public health workers, they say they deserve better. Jules Vasquez was there:

On Saturday morning about 35 KHMH union members strode out of the hospital, for a quick protest walk around the facility:

Andrew Baird, President KHMH Workers Union
"While we are out here, the services at Karl Heusner have not been interrupted, just to let that be clear. There is a few people who are on the shift, but most of these people came from home."

They Came to protest a pension issue - that's been unresolved for more than a year:

Andrew Baird, President KHMH Workers Union
"When this Prime Minister came into power he sat with our union executive members and he promised us that he would formulate a committee."

"The committee was formulated. We had three meetings after the third meetings for the past year or so we have not been able to meet again in reference to come up with a plan for the staff for their pension."

"I spoke to the Prime Minister on the 27th of December, asking him to please intervene so that the committee could reconvened and have meetings so we could complete this process. But to no avail, I spoke to him again two weeks ago and still we cannot get any meeting. It's been one year. Many of our staff are getting older. They need to have a retirement benefit."

That was their repeated refrain as they marched around the hospital.

But, the argument from the other side is that once they chose to stay with the KHMHM Authority they relinquished their right to a pension:

Andrew Baird, President KHMH Workers Union
"So, Karl Heusner Act states that we are pensionable in accordance with the pension act. So we are not asking the government for anything that we are not deserving of. We don't have to sit down and dialogue. All the Prime Minister has to do with the stroke of a pen put us back in our pension scheme that government, the free pension, that the public officers receive."

"We ar public officers by the virtue of what we do."

Lydia Blake, KHMH Workers Union Exec Member
"We have served, we are serving and like me choose to serve in this institution because I serve my people, red, blue, purple, green and white - everybody here. I already did my work, I have served the government and my pension is there waiting for me when I 55. Two more years, Jules. But if I stay with Karl Heusner I could work til I am 62 and I get another pension, because the Prime Minister of Belize when I went to a meeting in December of 2021-2022, I don't remember the year - he promise us after we put everything on paper there - "yes, you guys deserved a pension, you go get the numbers and I will find the money." It's 2025 and we still have not reach the table to sign."

And - possibly - with weeks to go before an election - is the timing opportune?

Crowd
"We want out pension now, today, before election."

Jules Vasquez
"Do you all feel some urgency to do this right now because elections are close?"

Andrew Baird, President KHMH Workers Union
"No. Eventhough that might be the thought process, no. We have been trying to get them back to the table for over 1 year and 2 months."

And for this union that has run out of patience, what's next?:

Protestor
"One of our soon to be retired staff, she hasn't gotten her pension yet and she is a wheelchair. We need our pension - soon retired staff."

Andrew Baird, President KHMH Workers Union
"We need our money and we want it now."

Jules Vasquez
"So would you all, are you all planning to escalate if the government does not come true?"

Andrew Baird, President KHMH Workers Union
"Yes. We cannot show our hands yet."

Lydia Blake, KHMH Workers Union Exec Member
"And if we don't get what we were promised that we will get, we will have to take a stand to get what we deserve."

Jules Vasquez
"And taking a stand means a denial of public service."

Lydia Blake, KHMH Workers Union Exec Member
"I don't know, Mr. Jules, any number could play."

The Union is set to have another meeting on Wednesday.

But, quicker than they could say "pay us now" - Minister of Health and wellness Kevin Bernard's secretary sent them a letter today confirming that the minister will meet with them a week from today.

In 2018, the KHMH set up a Provident Fund which covers workers from that period going forward.