Government of Belize plans to reward teachers for not participating in union strike

Peaceful Assembly

On 3rd April 2017, the Minister of Education in Belize announced that the government would allocate one million USD for distribution to teachers who did not participate in the Belize National Teachers Union’s (BNTU) 11-day strike in October 2016. Critics have declared the decision illegal, as the budget for this allocation has not yet been approved by the National Assembly. Moreover, BNTU described the Minister's decision as "a clear case of the government’s continued attempt at union busting" and an indirect attack on the freedom of peaceful assembly since the funds could potentially serve as an incentive for teachers not to participate in protests and strikes.