Next week Monday, the teachers will strike again, which more-than-likely means that classes will be canceled.
That's the outcome of last Thursday's four and a half hour meeting between the Prime Minister and the leadership of the Belize National Teachers Union. 18 hours after it was done, the teachers wrote back to the PM saying, "no deal!"
In a letter dated, Friday, September 23, BNTU President Luke Palacio wrote, quote "...We find that most of what you brought to the table is inconsistent with our demands to ensure good governance and respect for workers." End quote.
Palacio's letter directly addresses the Prime Minister's offerings on all 8 of their demands. They say that the Prime Minister's counter-offer to put one less Government's representative on the Senate Select Committee is "not favorable".
And on their request to remove Godwin Hulse as Police Minister, the BNTU says the Prime Minister's response is "too vague". They also say that the Prime Minister's response to the union's request for an international investigation into the William "Danny" Mason case is an "unreasonable suggestion".
They are willing to accept his proposals on the revival of cost saving and revenue enhancement committees. But, on the activation of a fully functioning Integrity Commission and Public Accounts Committee, the Appointment of the 13th Senator, and the signing of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, the BNTU says that Government either needs to expedite those, or show a stronger commitment to them.
On the issue amending the Social Security Act and the passage and implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health Bill, they say those points need "urgent attention", or that the Government's counter-offer is "too binding".
The letter to the Prime Minister ends, "...The BNTU serves notice…that we intend to pursue all necessary actions in furtherance to our cause that has the betterment of Belize as our primary focus".
Very ominous, and it sent the Barrow Government scrambling to start making contingency plans. The Prime Minister even recorded a weekend statement to address the impasse directly. We have excerpts of that for you, along with Palacio's comments to the press from today. Here's what they both had to say:
Rt. Hon Dean Barrow - Prime Minister of Belize
"We have reached a stalemate with the leadership of the Belize National Teachers Union, and now they are threatening to close down the schools, leaving children without classes, and parents desperate. Now, I had already attempted to address the demands in my response letter to them, of September 14, and I made further efforts to do so in last Thursday's meeting. But, the BNTU leadership proved unyielding, and after the meeting, they summarily rejected Government in under 18 hours, despite promising to consult with their wider membership."
Luke Palacio - National President, BNTU
"Understand that the membership has the Council the authority to go and discuss, and negotiate on its behalf, and that is exactly what our Council of Management is doing. They Prime Minister goes to the House of Representatives, passes a law - proposes a law, and passes it in the 3 readings, in less than an hour. So 18 hours is enough."
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow
"I therefore urge the BNTU, and I am here appealing to the wider membership - and not just the Council of Management - to call off this destructive crusade."
Luke Palacio
"So, the Prime Minister's appeal to the wider membership of BNTU, as far as we are concerned, is a tactic at divide and conquer, and you will not - he will not divide and conquer the BNTU."
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow
"Government has had multiple meetings with the Churches and other unions, and reason, and Government's compromise prevailed in all those discussions, its leadership, therefore, needs to return to the negotiating table. So, that we might also strike a balance between their demands, and the interests of the larger society, especially the children and their parents."
We have since learnt that the Ministry of Education has scheduled a meeting with the general managers, the secondary school principals, the School Board Chairs on Wednesday in Belize City. The purpose of that meeting is quote, "…discuss the actions to be taken by the BNTU...and make plans to ensure that classes are not disrupted."
We'll be there to try to get comment from those school managers.
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