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Teachers Protest, By the Thousands

7News was there from beginning to end - and Jules Vasquez has this story.

Jules Vasquez reporting
The crowd started out relatively small on the green in front of Belmopan Comprehensive at 9:00 am.

Perhaps there were a few hundred and it looked like the unions might be in for a disappointment:

Jose Castellanos, President APSSM
"We have to get the masses today and if we get the mass I think the government will understand that we mean serious business."

Jules Vasquez
"I am a little let down from teachers, I expect more."

Luke Palacio, President BNTU
"You know what your people have been doing with us - trying to intimidate our teachers, so no doubt a few of them probably - particularly as far as I understand the government teachers were intimidated. I have no proof of it at this point. What I do know that the ministry through the Chief Education Officer has quoted the education rules not saying that teachers should be in school but to say that the managers must ensure that the school remains open. Therefore we believe that that is sending a mixed signal."

Jules Vasquez
"I am slightly disappointed in this crowd."

George Frazer, Negotiator, NNTU
"Look here Jules, you talk to me at the end of the day or in another hour then you will see."

But the busses were steadily rolling in - we counted over 30. That's when the spirit started rolling in with old union standards like this one. The crowd started thickening - and the motivation was high:

Jules Vasquez
"You feel that the government is responsive to this? You think they are aware of this what you are going through when you shop?"

Corlan Galvez President Belmopan Branch
"You have to be blind to not see it Jules because even Josey saw it, so then how come we who can see it cannot see it."

Jules Vasquez
"You feel that a 30% raise over 3 years would fix this?"

Corlan Galvez President Belmopan Branch
"It will not fix it but it will make it better."

Jose Chan - Corozal
"The message is that the same way how they can find "chump change" as onr of the ministers said, they can find money to do salary adjustment for the teachers because we do more than the gang members. Every time the government finds money, sometimes it's mostly for the city and we educators we believe that something must be done also for the districts. We don't say that gang members in the districts must be paid, we say that programs must be set so that the districts benefit also."

And when the roll call started it was clear that we would be seeing a massive crowd.

It was impressive, not hundreds, but thousands, singing, showing their signs and marching wrapping Ring Road in a ribbon of humanity.

And being clear on their message with those issues in mind, Teachers from all corners of the country walked the entire route, from comprehensive School to the National Assembly building - occupying a long stretch of the Ring Road and taking about 15 minutes to pass one area.

We counted about 1750 persons in the march - certainly close to two thousand - and there were others waiting at the stairs of the National Assembly. No doubt form end to end it was impressive - and certainly would seem to send an effective message to the power base.

The spirit was so contagious, even the Belmopan mayor - himself a former teacher - got into it, joining the chorus:

Jules Vasquez
"Do you support them in the quest for this increase 30% over 3 years?"

Simeon Lopez, Mayor of Belmopan
"I support the idea that there must be negotiations. They should some to the table and let us negotiate. Let's not just give up or just say that it's done, there is nothing we can do about it. There must be some agreement that can be met."

Jules Vasquez
"Somebody in the crowd said if you are serious come in here."

Simeon Lopez, Mayor of Belmopan
"I will be out there with them. If I wasn't serious I wouldn't have been out here in the first place."

Jules Vasquez
"But you can't protest against your own government."

Simeon Lopez, Mayor of Belmopan
"I am not protesting against the government. I am supporting the idea that there must come to the table to negotiate."

Coming unto the National Assembly building, the shouts seemed to became more defiant and by the time they mounted Independence Hill in front of the national assembly building they were in full strident shout.

That culminated in a rendition of the National Anthem in front of the National Assembly, and from there they proceeded in their numbers to the stairs of the National Assembly building - where the singing continued.

But the crowd never quite filled up the stairs the way they did the streets. This was probably due to the blazing midday sun. Still, though, a good portion of the crowd came forward for the Rally - which would last over an hour, right through lunch - with speeches from Union leaders - the warmest reception from this teachers' audience reserved for BNTU President Luke Palacio - who got out more than the two thousand he had promised:

Luke Palacio, President BNTU
"We know that we surprise some of the nay Sayers. Some of them say that you won't get out those numbers. You have shown them that they are wrong."

"I am more than satisfied Jules. Again like I said when the Belize National Teachers Union mobilizes its members, it's not just the leadership of the union saying this is what we are going to do - we go to our council of management and if we have to have 2-3-4 meetings to work out the details to ensure that we get what we are asking for in terms of the participation and the support from our membership, this is showing what we have done so far."

Jules Vasquez
"Now, do you think it was enough to send a message? You know politicians only deal in voters."

Luke Palacio, President BNTU
"Well we know that the politicians deal with voters and these are voters too. We just hope that they will understand that probably some of these same people voted for the government."

Jules Vasquez
"You think this strengthens your hand going into the meetings Friday with the Prime Minister?"

Luke Palacio, President BNTU
"Again, like I said I don't intend to speculate. I am cautiously optimistic. Our side is preparing all our arguments because that is where we need to go. They have given us their figure. It is their figures that we are interpreting for them, if they show us something different and can convince us that indeed what we are asking for may not be affordable at this time. We do believe that they can give something."

Jules Vasquez
"Do you think (to use a biblical reference) that Pharaoh will be moved?"

Jose Castellanos, President APSSM
"I think so and I am confident about it. I don't see any other option."

Jules Vasquez
"Unless you all have to go to plan B."

Jose Castellanos, President APSSM
"I don't think so. I don't think it's in the interest of both of us to go that way. I am confident that come Friday - the Prime Minister is a reasonable person, he is a rational person and I think in the end we will get the benefits."

George Frazer, Negotiator, NNTU
"Yes we are determined because we know our figures are right. We know our cause is just."

Jules Vasquez
"We saw the resolved of the teachers today. You have said that you demonstrate - you showed up in the thousands. Do you think that they will have the same resolve if it comes to the past that sustained industrial has to be taken - a sustain strike?"

Luke Palacio, President BNTU
"Yes, I have no doubt that our workers - our teachers in particular are prepared to make that sacrifice as long as we will get what we are looking for."

A few notes: first, there were plenty of police around but no riot squad or paramilitary units anywhere in sight to provoke the crowd. Apart from having to stand in the sun all day, the police got no work from the peaceful, orderly protestors.

Second note is that we neither saw nor detected any political infiltration: the crowd that was out there was comprised almost purely of teachers and public officers - though we did see a few stray politicians, but they were only a handful.

And then there's the numbers - how many people were in the protest? That's always the tricky part. We counted 1750 in the march - and though the teachers will scold us for it, we stick by that number. But there were others waiting at the National Assembly building as well.

And so, counting the busses, which numbered about 40 and modestly estimating 60 persons per bus - that puts the crowd at 2,400. And then add in the unionists from Belmopan City, and the numbers swell, credibly, to the three thousand person range.

Minister Responds to Protest

Jules Vasquez
"The crowd out here today seems impressive to us but did you as the Minister see it and are you sufficiently impressed that they have the 100% support of the teachers?"

Hon. Patrick Faber - Minister of Education
"Honestly I have not seen the crowd. I have just walked by here and I have not looked over for obvious reasons. I know that somebody might be in the crowd that gets over happy and does something that is not necessarily warranted, I must get to my office and that is the reason I'm passing here. I have to go enter through the backdoor but it's not a problem."

Jules Vasquez
"You may not have heard the chants this morning but the chants said that if you can't help you'll have to go."

Hon. Patrick Faber - Minister of Education
"There are a lot of emotions out here today and I am not holding that against anybody and so yes there is a crowd. I am certain and it's a crowd that of course we have to recognized and respect and as I've always said that I do respect the teachers and anybody else who is out here their right to demonstrate and to make clear to the government and to anybody else the point that they are making here today or any other point that they may feel so strongly about."

Jules Vasquez
"However I have the sense that the point is not being made effectively in so far as you don't seemed to be suede."

Hon. Patrick Faber - Minister of Education
"I am not the person to be suede. The Government/Cabinet does that collectively of course the Prime Minister more importantly does that as he is the Minister of Finance."

Reporter "Do you believe that there could be a compromise rather than simply saying there is no funds - a compromise on the percentages the unions are asking for?"

Hon. Patrick Faber - Minister of Education
"That is something that has to be determined. The Governments' position at this time remains that it does not have the funds. I believe that that may well be the position right through because that is the simple truth - that these monies are not there. If you look at what figures the government presents and of course those figures are challenge by the unions - but if you look at the figures that even the unions present, it still leaves a gap in the national budget of tens of millions of dollars and until we are able to fill that gap then it doesn't matter how much the kind of salary adjustment that is being requested is deserved - how much it is going to alleviate conditions if the hard cold truth is that these monies are not there and I think what the Prime Minister intends to do on Friday in our meeting is to say to people that these monies are simply not there but let's talk about how else we can ameliorate some of these conditions that teachers and public servants experience on a day-to-day basis. The Prime Minister is convince that that is the case and is telling you as the Minister of Finance that there is no way that this kind of salary adjustment; this kind of salary raise is going to happen at this time the money is simply not there. It doesn't matter whatever you do, it's simply not there."

Jules Vasquez
"This is inconsequential then?"

Hon. Patrick Faber - Minister of Education
"We have to talk about what else can be done and how else as I said the conditions can be ameliorated."

Jules Vasquez
"So then is all this inconsequential?"

Hon. Patrick Faber - Minister of Education
"Not really, it is important for people to make a stand. I fully respect that, I believe the cabinet fully understand that. I am just out of the Cabinet meeting and they fully understand that statement is being made here that things need to improve. I don't want to be pre-emptive ad to say what will come out of the meeting on Friday but I am sure that what is going to be discussed is how is it we proceed forward given the statements of power that have been shown out here today. We cannot close our eyes to that. What I am saying is that if we don't have the money that's not going to be the direction in which we move."

Faber will be in that meeting with the Prime Minister and the unions which will be held on Friday in the Cabinet Room in Belmopan. The Prime Minister has indicated that he is willing to discuss a salary adjustment that is indexed to a current surplus.

Will Teachers Pay Be Cut

Jules Vasquez
"Is there any chance that the ministry or thr managements would be so bold as to make a deduction for a day?"

Luke Palacio, President BNTU
"Jules, we've made that known to our teachers, we've said to them that the education rules does say that if the teachers go on any type of industrial action although it specifically speaks to a strike - they may lose salary. We are hoping that that is going to be the operative term "may.""

And doing some housekeeping on Teacher's issues, in fairness we also have to let them respond to the scathing release that the Chamber of Commerce sent out on Friday. As we reported, the Chamber frowned on an across the board wage increase and said it would only favour quote, "properly evaluated increases (for) hardworking public servants." Jules Vasquez unmasked the coded language and asked the unions for their response yesterday:..

Jules Vasquez
"However the Chamber would not condone the idea of a general public sector raise increase - that may serve to simultaneously reward unproductive or counter-productive work. Long story short; read between the lines it seems to be suggesting that a large or a section of the public service ia lazy and unproductive and should not be rewarded. That's what this seems to be saying."

Dylan Reneau, President NTUCB
"Jules, I want to answer it from two angles; the first thing is that their press release was self-serving. If you don't have an increase in business - business growth and in fact there is GDP growth of 3.5% - 7%. Where is that growth coming from, so they are experiencing a growth. As the President of the PSU also mentioned, our presentation was quite clear. We are not only interested in a salary increase, we want to improve on the productivity and the performance of the public service and many of the proposals from the unions are geared towards that but some of those have not been finalize as yet but the president pointed out clearly some of that that have been finalize and they are going to work on them. My direct answer to that is that we are quite concern the way how the Chamber put out that release. They seem to be self-serving and not looking at the greater good of all."

As for self-serving suggestions, the Chamber's statement says that priority should be on Private Sector job creation and real economic growth.

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