The Briceño administration is trying to navigate a financial quagmire and as it does so, it has announced that the Budget Presentation, which was scheduled for Friday, March 26, has been postponed. There is no telling when it will take place but a large hurdle it has to overcome before it does is to settle an ongoing impasse with the unions.
The Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) and the Public Service Union (PSU) have joined forces to oppose a three-year 10% salary cut and increment freeze which the government proposed. The cut, according to the government will save the administration some 80 million dollars a year. While that may be so, the unions have responded asking that government ministers to trim the fat, cutting allowances and other perks to which it has replied that it will not do so as those cuts will have a negligible effect.
As we go to press, there are ongoing discussions on a proposed meeting between the unions and government reps, which is scheduled to take place on Friday. However, there is no clear indication of whether or not the meeting will actually take place.
