Unions Demand Reform, Plan Strikes Against Wage Cuts -

Unions Demand Reform Plan Strikes UNIONS DEMAND REFORM, PLAN STRIKES. All around the world, government workers are protesting Covid-related wage cuts while asserting that their governments are continuing wasteful corruption. Many contend that the crisis has enabled governments to gain more power at their expense.

For instance, Belize’s unions are preparing to strike against looming 10% wage cuts. They have already held a loud though socially-distanced rally on the National Assembly steps. But new Prime Minister John Briceno is countering them with grim statistics.

Specifically, the Belize economy declined by 14% in 2020 due to Covid-19 restrictions. Forecasts estimate only a 2% recovery in 2021.

Not only that, the PM points out that Belize is the sixth most indebted nation worldwide. It owes 130% of its entire annual economic output. That amounts to owing US $5000 for every man, woman and child. The average annual income per person now stands at only half that amount.

Beyond that, Belize owes in wages to government workers 86% of all its government income. So all Cabinet members have decided to take a 10% salary cut. They are telling union workers that they must do the same. That would save the government about US $40 million.

But the unions are threatening a strike that could cost Belize even more than US $40 million. The teachers’ union, for one, plans to start striking on Monday. The unions accuse the government of wasting money on corruption. For example, critics cite recent hirings of cronies at exorbitant salaries.

Time to activate anti-corruption reform

The unions insist that the government immediately activate now-dormant anti-corruption measures. They include the UN Commission Against Corruption (UNCAC), which Belize signed in 2016. And also the Integrity Commission and Public Accounts Committee, which have existed for long before that.

Since 2016, our evangelical association has repeatedly called for anti-corruption implementation. Now our suffering country needs it as much as ever. How can we expect unions to accept pay cuts when the government won’t account for its spending?

But if the government does activate the anti-corruption measures, we should expect the unions to accept the same 10% pay cut that Cabinet members did. After all, the vast majority of Belizeans have had severe pay cuts during this crisis.

In fact, unemployment has risen from 10% in late 2019 to 38%. Wouldn’t most of the recently unemployed want to work again at 90% of their former income? We must pray for a solution of shared austerity and shared accountability to make the most of what little we have.