A major labor mobilization is set to take place across Belize next Tuesday, as the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) has confirmed it will join the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) in a peaceful public demonstration opposing the proposed controversial acquisition of BTL and Speednet. The planned action comes amid growing public and union discontent over the proposed merger, with the BNTU throwing its full organizational weight behind the coordinated national protest.
On Wednesday evening, BNTU President Nadia Caliz took to social media to rally union members ahead of the demonstration, announcing that a series of virtual informational meetings would be held in the coming days to walk teachers through the union’s planned next steps and outline why participation in the collective action is critical. In her appeal to members, Caliz emphasized a clear, uncompromising message: meaningful change only comes when citizens and workers collectively stand up to demand it.
Addressing her members directly, Caliz noted that teachers had already made their opposition clear through direct outreach to union leadership, via emails, text messages and group discussions. She framed the upcoming protest as a key opportunity to channel that individual discontent into a unified public statement that extends beyond the acquisition itself, encompassing a range of ongoing national concerns affecting Belizean workers.
Caliz drew a direct parallel between the current moment and the 2005 labor unrest sparked by the Belize Health Care Partners controversy, describing the current situation as striking déjà vu for veteran union organizers. She reminded elected government officials that their hold on power stems directly from the votes of the Belizean electorate – a group that includes every one of the BNTU’s thousands of members – and urged leaders to listen closely to public opposition to the proposed deal.
As part of preparations for the protest, the BNTU issued a formal memo to educational stakeholders on Wednesday confirming that all scheduled professional development activities for teachers on the day of the demonstration will be canceled, as members will be focused on participating in the protest action.
The outcome of the demonstration remains uncertain, even after the Belizean Cabinet recently announced its formal opposition to the BTL/Speednet acquisition. Union leaders have not yet confirmed whether the protest will be called off in response to the Cabinet’s position, with plans for the street demonstration proceeding as originally scheduled as of Thursday.