On August 28, 2026, organized labor in Belize took public action against the Briceño administration, holding a targeted 15-minute lunchtime demonstration outside the Social Security Board (SSB) headquarters in downtown Belize City. Led by the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB), the protest drew additional support from the Christian Workers Union (CWU) and its members employed at the SSB, turning a midday work break into a visible show of labor discontent.
NTUCB President Ella Waight framed the demonstration as a purposeful “walk of demands,” a public reminder of the 11 formal policy and personnel requests the union submitted to the government earlier that week. The union had set an explicit deadline: the Briceño administration was required to deliver a formal response by the date of the protest. As of the demonstration, however, Waight confirmed that the NTUCB had received neither an official response nor even a formal acknowledgement of receipt of the union’s letter.
One of the most high-stakes demands on the union’s list is the immediate removal of Markhelm Lizarraga from his post as Chairman of the Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) Board of Directors. Waight emphasized that this call is not driven solely by the NTUCB’s leadership, but originates directly from frontline BTL workers — the employees whose daily work keeps the critical telecommunications provider operational. “It is a call not just from NTUCB, but from the workers at BTL, the ones who have the capacity to ensure BTL runs smoothly or create issues,” she noted.
Waight acknowledged that Prime Minister John Briceño is currently traveling abroad, but pushed back on any implication that the government could use his absence as a reason for inaction. She noted that government operations continue seamlessly when the prime minister is out of the country, and the union only expected a basic confirmation of the letter’s receipt alongside a timeline for when official discussions could begin once the prime minister returned.
Beyond the demand for Lizarraga’s removal, Waight clarified that many of the NTUCB’s 11 requests could be resolved quickly through open dialogue, and the union’s core goal is to secure a formal meeting with the prime minister and his administration to address the full list of concerns. Union Senator Glenfield Dennison framed the labor movement’s next steps bluntly: organized labor will continue escalating pressure to force government attention. “I am of the view that power does not listen if they don’t have a reason to listen,” Dennison said. “So, we are going to continue to give them reasons to listen.”
Waight issued a clear warning if the administration fails to meet the union’s demand for dialogue: the NTUCB will escalate its targeted protest action to a full national demonstration. Similar localized protests are already scheduled across the country in the coming weeks to build momentum for the labor movement’s demands.