BELIZE CITY – In a significant display of labor mobilization, Belize’s National Trade Union Congress (NTUCB) staged an unsanctioned protest outside the Social Security Board headquarters on February 4, 2026, despite being denied official permission by authorities. The labor action occurred alongside but deliberately separate from a demonstration organized by the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), creating a complex tableau of dissent.
Union leaders emphasized their demonstration focused exclusively on worker rights and transparency regarding management of Social Security funds, explicitly distancing themselves from political party agendas. NTUCB President Ella Waight asserted the protest represented workers’ constitutional rights, stating, “We need to ensure there is public consultation. Citizens must understand the risks and benefits to make sober decisions.”
The protest gained substantial momentum with participation from multiple influential unions, including the Belize Communications Workers for Justice and the powerful Belize National Teachers’ Union (BNTU). BNTU President Nadia Caliz characterized their involvement as a calculated response to growing discrepancies in Social Security management, noting, “When you know your power you don’t rush. It’s the silence that is deadly.”
Tensions escalated when UDP supporters moved toward the Social Security Board compound, which union leaders said endangered workers inside the building. Waight condemned this development as unacceptable, stating it prevented Social Security Board employees from joining the protest due to safety concerns.
The demonstration highlighted broader opposition to the proposed Speednet acquisition and unresolved severance payments for former Belize Telecommunications Limited employees. Emily Turner of the Communications Workers emphasized the connection: “If BTL already owes a debt to its former employees, it needs to settle it before any acquisition.”
Support extended beyond traditional labor circles, with healthcare workers, youth representatives, and professionals joining the action. Andrew Baird, past president of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority Union, called it “a matter of national interest,” while youth representative Ashley Langford emphasized the protest’s significance for future generations of workers.
Union leaders concluded by reaffirming their commitment to non-political worker advocacy, insisting their demands centered on transparency, consultation, and protection of worker contributions to the Social Security system.