7 News Belize

PM Met With Unions
posted (September 22, 2016)
As we told you at the top of the newscast, the Prime Minister met with the teachers Union's council of management today. The meeting which was scheduled for three hours pushed on to four hours and 10 MINUTES - as the teachers demanded answers for all eight points on the list of demands which they made to the PM two weeks ago. The meeting finished just before 6:30, and here's what the BNTU National President had to say when it was done:...

Luke Palacio - BNTU, President
"We had 8 points that we needed to be discussing with the Prime Minister and so it took all this time. We've discussed, we have a number of issues that we've raised. In fact we address all the 8 points we had in the letter we sent to the Prime Minister and we are now prepared to go back and discused those responses and then determine what happens next."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Is the council of management satisfied with those responses?"

Luke Palacio - BNTU, President
"You didn't understand what I said just now? I said we are going back to discuss the responses, so we cannot tell you that we are satisfied and neither are we saying that we are not satisfied, but we have a process and we keep on saying to the media, the BNTU has a process that it follows and you'll have to allow us to make that process work."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"How was the atmosphere of the meeting?"

Luke Palacio - BNTU, President
"Cordial. We were not here to fight."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Do you think the showing of the BNTU on Monday played any role in the Prime Minister's willingness to discuss these points with you all?"

Luke Palacio - BNTU, President
"No. I would be unfair to say so. The Prime Minister had responded. Our condition in the letter we sent dated the 12th September was we want a response by Friday 16th. By the 14th, we have gotten a response. So when we went on that demonstration on Monday 19th, it was not hitch on whether or not he would have responded positively, there was no discussion on the matters held. That discussion took place today."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Sir, what were the most contentious point that extended the meeting to this time?"

Luke Palacio - BNTU, President
"There were no contentious points. The discussions were just long. We had to ventilate all that we want ventilated and we've done so."

We also got an opportunity to speak with the Prime Minister, and here's what he had to say about the discussions:

Rt., Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister of Belize
"The agenda was pretty long and the issues raised by the teachers needed to be exhaustively discussed and so that's what happened."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"How was the tone of this meeting and given that the teachers felt they needed to demonstrate to the government that they are serious about these issues, did that play a role?"

Rt., Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister of Belize
"Well nobody could ever have doubted that the teachers were serious. These are serious people and so that is why the minute examination of each concern was absolutely necessary. That was done and I believe that it was a useful process and now we shall see what we shall see."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Are you bracing for more demonstrations after this meeting?"

Rt., Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister of Belize
"I wouldn't say that we are bracing for more demonstrations. It is that the members of the council of management will go back to their respective branches and will inform as to what took place and so any position arrived at can only come once that process is concluded. I would not presume to anticipate the outcome of that process."

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