BNTU hosts national demonstration https://t.co/FOQF8fYY12
— Breaking Belize News (@belizemedia) November 7, 2018
Peaceful Assembly
On the afternoon of 23rd October 2018, the Southern Workers' Union held a demonstration outside the Southern Regional Hospital demanding better medical services. Glen Lewis, president of the union, said that what triggered the protest was the death of one of the union members after he was sent home without medical treatment and hours later he died. He also said: "we believe it is negligence of our hospital under the Ministry of Health. We would like the Ministry of Health and [government] at large, or in particular, to put more interest in health, especially the hospital".
In separate developments, on 30th October 2018, Elena Smith, president of the Belize National Teachers' Union (BNTU), called for a demonstration on 7th November in Belmopan. Smith considers that the government has disrespected the teachers with their standing against Proposal 22 presented by the Union. The proposal asks the Government to contribute 30 percent of the retirement fund of teachers from community schools. The national mobilisation took place without reports of police repression.