It's morning and we have electricity, but no water.
TV Channel 5 has updated transcript from last night's news show:
Viewers please note: This Internet newscast is a verbatim transcript of our evening television newscast. Where speakers use Creole, however, we attempt to paraphrase the quotes in English, while preserving some of the Creole flavour.
Unions call for 2 day strike
The nation's unions have finally decided on a response to Government's new tax measures: their answer? A two-day strike that is intended to bring a halt to central government operations, close the schools and curtail access to water, electricity and telecom services. At the same time, Belize's two main private sector organisations have called on business houses to close their doors, also on Thursday and Friday. This afternoon general secretary of the National Trade Union Congress, George Frazer, and Teacher's Union president Anthony Fuentes, visited our studios to explain their intentions.
George Frazer, General Secretary, N.T.U.C.B.
"Well we have agreed that we will have a total shutdown tomorrow, Thursday and on Friday.”
Stewart Krohn
"What do you mean by a total shutdown?”
George Frazer
"We will through our various unions effect measures, industrial action that we feel will bring about the attention of Government and we are asking the support and the understanding of the public for example the teacher’s union we are asking for all the teachers to come out to support our action.”
Stewart Krohn
"Primary School, secondary and tertiary?”
George Frazer
"Primary school, secondary, tertiary the U.B. students; the faculty and staff. They are all with us. We held a meeting yesterday with general managers of the Primary Schools and they were also a couple representatives form high schools and they’re all on board because the measures are national issues and also closer to home with the teacher’s union and the public service, our third payment of the third year salary increase.”
Stewart Krohn
"Okay, let’s go on to the unions. Public officers in general, not showing up for work Thursday and Friday.”
George Frazer
"Well that is our understanding. That’s the plan.”
Stewart Krohn
"Essential services, fire, immigration and things like that. They show up or they don’t show up?”
George Frazer
"Well we know some of the essential services like health, fire, security forces. We don’t want to jeopardize the best interest of Belize and our Belizean people. So they know that in the first instance, we would like for them to be on standby and the other services are not as essential. So yes, we expect all the other services to come on board and support the action.”
Stewart Krohn
APrivate companies: water, electricity, telephone. What’s happening with those unions?”
George Frazer
"Those unions have also indicated that they will affect the necessary measures. There could be some blackouts and also cutting in water.”
Stewart Krohn
"When you say affect the necessary measures, you are asking those workers to cause blackout, to cause water shortage and to cause phone blackout service or you are telling them not to show up for work. What’s the position?”
George Frazer
"Well they know what they are to do and could include all of the above.”
Stewart Krohn
"Other unions that make up the NTUCB that works for Ports and other private...”
George Frazer
"Christian Workers Union, the Belize Workers Union.”
Stewart Krohn
"Sugar workers; how about them?”
George Frazer
"They are all on board and they have already agreed on the measures they are going to take to shutdown.
Anthony Fuentes, President, B.N.T.U.
"As a union we have made it abundantly clear to all our educators in this country that there will be a total shutdown of all the schools on Thursday and Friday. So we are advising parents not to send their children to school on Thursday and Friday.”
George Frazer
"We had a meeting this morning with the minister of education. He requested a meeting with us and we explained our position. He said he understood our position and that he would not try to get in the way to pressure our course not to follow through. And he also indicated that he would not be in favour of taking away any monies from our people. Our branches have reported because most, if not all, of our branches held meetings over the past two days and they have indicated, many of them, that we ware willing to give back those days whether it’s a Saturday or some other for the students. Our interest is not to harm students or their parents but to focus on the weaknesses in the system, the abuses which will affect them.”
"The issues right now are national and down the line if we don’t take the necessary measures and sacrifices; it could be a long, hard summer for everybody.”
Stewart Krohn
"Let me cut to the chase here. Come Monday, let’s say your strike succeeds beyond its wildest dreams, hundred percent no show for teachers, public officers, all you union workers. What’s the next step? What are you trying to achieve by this industrial action?”
George Frazer
"We want to send a clear message to Government, Prime Minister and others. We have made some recommendations to them. We are prepared to work along with any Government and to try in the best interest of Belize to see where we can close the gaps. But first, we have to also close those loopholes and those areas where abuses have come.”
Anthony Fuentes, President, B.N.T.U.
"The national Trade Union Congress of Belize has written to the Prime Minister informing him that we want reform in our system. We are also saying that there are a lot of monies out there that the Government needs to collect. And we are saying that they need to collect these monies. There is no need for the Government of the day to tax the Belizean people and that’s the reason why as a responsible organisation we made recommendations to the Government. We met with them at Central Bank, we presented recommendations to them. They mentioned to us that they will look at our recommendation and then try to implement the recommendation that we suggested to them because it was coming from both the Chamber and the Trade Unions.”
P.S.U. says essential services will function
With government employees being asked to stay off the job over the next two days the question arises of what about essential services like police, fire and medical care. According to Public Service Union president Dylan Reneau, there is no reason for citizens to worry.
Dylan Reneau, President, P.S.U.
"Being a responsible union we have tried to work an agreement on how we will deal with that situation and we certainly will not shutdown any hospitals or any essential services. What we want to have is a token or a skeleton staff there to ensure that the services carry on. But still we want some of the members of those organisations to be out there to show a united front.”
Stewart Krohn
"Let's say air traffic controllers; they will be working? Planes will still land?”
Dylan Reneau
"Yes, they will be working.”
Stewart Krohn
"Immigration officers at the airport and border points?”
Dylan Reneau
"Yes, a token staff.”
Stewart Krohn
"What are you looking to gain from this exercise?”
Dylan Reneau
"Well, we are trying to get the Government to understand that we want the reforms that we=ve been asking for to be implemented. The fact that we can=t accept any more taxes--the way how the system is set up appears as if though only the poor and the working people who are paying majority of the taxes. We want this tax resume to be more balanced where everybody in this country has to bear that burden. Basically, at the end of the day, we also have an issue where we are trying to get our collective agreement dealt with; get the last salary increase.”
Stewart Krohn
"It has been alleged by some that what you=re really interested in most is getting your salary and the taxes are really just a smokescreen. What=s the highest priority for union?”
Dylan Reneau
"The priority are basically as the we set it out right now. Reform, we want the system to be changed. I drew the illustration this morning on Love FM that in 1994 we were in this situation. Only the Public Service Union faced the full grant of those corrective measures. Now we are here in 2004/2005 in a similar situation, but even worst; magnified is occurring now. So they must be something wrong with our system and we have to get rid of the mismanagement and the corruption and our reforms as they were put out there will address this issue. And I think that the politicians don=t necessary want to let go of that power because some of those reforms were basically streamlined and developed check and balances to these ministers who have now become somewhat of a demagogue in our society.”
Members of eight unions affiliated with the N.T.U.C.B. have been asked to participate in a demonstration at Friday's meeting of the House of Representatives in Belmopan. On Thursday, the B.N.T.U. is asking all teachers from the Belize District to take part in a protest march scheduled for eight thirty in the morning at Memorial Park in Belize City.
Business groups will also close shop
For their part, Belize's two main private sector groups have asked their members to close their doors on Thursday and Friday. It is not clear how many businesses will comply with the request but a check around Belize City indicates that a significant number will remain open. We are assured by a spokesman for the Chamber of Commerce that those proprietors choosing to close their doors will still pay their employees their full salaries for the two days.
P.M. says strike is politically motivated
While the unions and business groups make their plans for Thursday and Friday where does Government stand? Today Prime Minister Said Musa, in a recorded address, castigated the Leader of Opposition as a "reckless politician careless of the harm he does to the Belizean people and to Belizean democracy." The protests, he claims, have little to do with economics.
Prime Minister Said Musa
“What we have here is clearly not a legitimate trade dispute or sector grievance, but a politically motivated attempt to profit from the situation, with reckless disregard for the damage done to our people and to our democracy. The UDP, which in its last term imposed itself on the people for three months more than is constitutionally the practice, is trying to bring down a popularly and democratically elected government three years before its constitutional term expires. This is all about a reckless thirst for power by a few political demagogues who have managed to manipulate a few leaders of legitimate and respected institutions whose members will, I am sure, not allow themselves to be so used."
On Friday the stage has now been set for possible confrontation as the Peoples United Party has called on all of its supporters to assemble in Belmopan at the meeting of the House of Representatives.