The Belize National Teachers’ Union (BNTU) has strongly refuted claims made by Minister of Education Oscar Requena regarding missing teacher salaries. On November 4, 2025, Requena attributed the salary deductions to advances given in December 2024, asserting that the union had agreed to this arrangement. However, BNTU President Nadia Caliz vehemently denied these allegations, stating that the deductions were unrelated to advances but rather involved long-overdue increments and allowances. Caliz emphasized that the union possesses a December 2024 letter from the government promising to pay these increments and allowances by the end of that month. She criticized the minister’s comments as misleading and indicative of systemic issues within the education sector, including a lack of transparency. Caliz also expressed frustration over unexplained ‘miscellaneous deductions’ from teachers’ salaries, which have caused widespread concern among educators. The union has called for clarity and accountability, urging the government to address these discrepancies promptly.