7 News Belize

UDP Goes Into Overdrive To Keep School Open, But Are They Union-Busting?
posted (September 28, 2016)

And while the Education Ministry and the political directorate are going to extraordinary lengths to keep schools open, on the ground, UDP politicians were working their tails off today.  Cabinet tasked area representatives to visit schools in the constituencies and make direct appeals to the teachers and principals not to participate in a strike.  We found out about it when two city reps showed up at Wesley Lower school , which is one block from our studio. We waited for them to finish and asked what the meeting was about:…

Tracey Taegar-Panton - UDP Area Rep, Albert
"We have been meeting with the teachers and with the principals and the management of the schools to share with them government’s responses to the eight point demands that were made by the BNTU management - because we think it is important in terms of decision making that both sides of the conversation be well represented so that teachers can make up their own minds. We are certainly concerned that schools needs to remain open, our children need to be in school and we're hoping that we can appeal to our teachers to look at things objectively and be able to keep schools open on Monday and keep children in school."

Jules Vasquez, 7News
"You’re union busting."

Hon. Michael Finnegan - UDP Area Rep, Mesop.
"Tracy and I responsibility, is to make sure that we visit every school in Belize City and we will talk to every teacher, individually as was done this morning at Grace Primary School, individually as was done at Calvary Temple Primary School, and as a group that was done here at Wesley School."

"And the government wants to make it extremely clear that we do not have any quarrel with any teacher in the country of Belize and the teachers have a right to strike and that is the constitutional right, and we live in a democracy, but the teachers must be given the two sides of the story."

Jules Vasquez
"However sir, answer the question if you don’t mind, what you're doing here is you’re telling the teachers, do not be loyal to your union, do not follow your president, follow us, the government."

Hon. Michael Finnegan - UDP Area Rep, Mesop.
"To be educating people, is not union busting. We are...only one side was presented, in fact no side was presented to them because they did not came back, they never come back to the teachers. They sat with the prime minister and sat with him for almost five hours and presenting a letter 18 hours later, and the first paragraph, "in your meeting with us today" it means that the same night they write the letter Jules."

"But you see in my view this is not bout teachers, this is not about representing the interests of the teachers, this is about toppling the government of Belize."

Jules Vasquez
"What was the reception today Tracey?"

Tracey Taegar-Panton - UDP Area Rep, Albert
"I think we had a very good dialogue with the teachers, we were mostly listening to the concerns of the teachers but they were also willing to hear our views on the matter. I think it was open, it was receptive, we did ask them to look at things objectively and then to make a decision from there as they see fit."

Jules Vasquez
"However, are you aware, what I’ve heard, that many of the teachers resent the government because those same teachers in there have to improvise have to spend their own money in order to prepare their classrooms."

Hon. Michael Finnegan - UDP Area Rep, Mesop.
"But that is what BNTU should do. That is exactly what BNTU should do; make a list of demands to make our classrooms better and to make our teachers work in a better atmosphere and to work in there with dignity, and respect and with love, that is the job of the BNTU, their job is not to try to topple the government! Ah? There was just an election! Their job, Jules, is to try to topple the Dean Barrow Administration; Blind-eyed Jamesy could see that!"

Jules Vasquez 
"You want to tell the union what is their job, but they're advocating so that the children they educate - this is what they say - so that children they educate can live in a better, just society, free of corruption which they believe your government represents, Sir."

Hon. Michael Finnegan - UDP Area Rep, Mesop.
"What corruption my government represents? Noh, but then you could argue it. Tell me what corruption my government represents."

Jules Vasquez  
"Sir let us not go into it because we could be here all day."

Hon. Michael Finnegan - UDP Area Rep, Mesop.
"So when our teachers and children fail PSE, so we must follow and seh, the children 50% of they are failing, so what should we do, bring teachers from the Caribbean and international to teach the children at school? That is unfair and disrespectful to our teachers. It is not the teachers that have they children fail they examination."

Jules Vasquez  
"Well you can’t blame the children."

Hon. Michael Finnegan - UDP Area Rep, Mesop.
"There are a compilation of things that cause that, noh di teachers."

Jules Vasquez   
"If next week Monday this school is closed down. Is it then okay for me to say that you tried and you failed?"

Hon. Michael Finnegan - UDP Area Rep, Mesop.
"Well let’s wait and see. And I think since morning we have been dealing with extremely reasonable people. I like what we are seeing. I love what we are seeing."

Jules Vasquez
"But you know that everybody who run against you in Mesop. they seh di same thing. They like what they are seeing election morning, but they don’t like what they see election night."

Hon. Michael Finnegan - UDP Area Rep, Mesop.
"But let’s wait and see, let’s wait and see, the proof of the pudding is in the eating."

Finnegan told us that he and Taegar visited the majority of schools in Albert and Mesopotamia.

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