Category: CANA News

The President of the Grenada Union of Teachers (GUT), Jude Bartholomew, is urging the government to resume the payment of allowances that were removed from principals of both primary and secondary schools after the government enforced the latest collective bargain for teachers.

‘The Grenada Union of Teachers in the last negotiating cycle, we negotiated a benefit for principals, nobody wanted to be principal because principals were the lowest paid, the pay was even lower than teachers who were in the system,’ Bartholomew told a news conference.

GUT president Jude Bartholomew

‘We successfully negotiated to bring up the pay and grade of principals, the primary schools principals from H to I and secondary schools principals from I to J and what the principals are saying, even while they receive payment of the new grade, somehow in the Ministry of Education have gotten rid of the allowances,’ he added.

‘The principals are saying it is unjust, it’s unfair,’ said Bartholomew who recommended that the government restore the allowances in recognition of World Teachers Day which will be commemorated globally on October 5.

He said besides resuming the payment of allowances to principals, the union also wants the teachers who are acting as principals to receive some form of payment for their service to the education system.

Bartholomew called on the government to pay the seniority allowance to teachers who complete teachers colleges. He said that payment has been in a collective agreement clause over the years and administrations have failed to make this payment to those who qualify for it.

‘Only one set of people who received that, once you finish college as a qualified teacher and you pass three appraisals you should be receiving the seniority allowance and it has not been paid across administrations.it should not stop until Government has a new pay and grade for teachers,’ he said.

The Belize government is moving ahead with the establishment of a gun and gang court with Home Affairs Minister, Kareem Musa, saying that the acts of gun violence that occurred over the last weekend ‘are unacceptable’.

‘First, I extend my sincere condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones over the weekend. We grieve with you, and we are committed to holding those responsible accountable.

Home Affairs Minister, Kareen Musa

‘The events of this weekend reinforce what we already know. Belize needs a dedicated response to the crisis of gun and gang violence. That is why our government has advanced the amendment to create a specialized gun and gang court,’ Musa said.

He said that the court is designed to process gun-related and gang-related cases ‘swiftly, firmly, and within the law.

‘Once passed, we intend to increase the penalties for first-time offenders from five years to 10 years. And for second-time offenders, that penalty will extend from 15 to 20 years. The court will focus solely on these matters, removing them from an already overburdened magistracy,’ Musa said.

Police said among those killed over the last wekend were 25-year-old Gaston Barrow, who was killed in an ambush that left another man, Hance Card, seriously injured, while two women escaped unharmed. Forty-three-year-old Moses Almendarez was also gunned down and 34-year Keyon Cleland was stabbed during a dispute with a store owner

Acting Commissioner of Police, Bart Jones, told reporters that the preliminary investigations into the more than half a dozen shootings, including near a school, that led to multiple fatalities, were gang related.

Jones in offering his condolences to families that lost loved ones because of the violent acts, warned criminals that the law will come down hard and is assuring the public that officers will respect the rights of law-abiding citizens.

‘I want to express the departments concerns to the many family or Belizeans who may have been or still shaken by the level of violence that occurred within their respective communities. This is something that the department cannot countenance and we will put decisive action to address this situation,’ Jones told a news conference.

‘As we are meeting now, we have commanders in the next room. We are meeting to strategise on how we are going to arrest this situation. We are going to see in the coming days targeted intelligence-led operation combined with our efforts with the Leadership Intervention Unit to try and mitigate or immediate some of the actions or the causes of some of these violence in the streets.’

Jones said that the police will also be looking at the investigative files as it relates to the gang offenses to see if charges can be preferred against some of these gang leaders who law enforcement believe ‘are behind this senseless violence.

‘The department will not stand to and allow citizen security to be further eroded and we will certainly, as I said, take decisive actions to address the situation. We, aforehand, want to beg on the public’s patience and support because some of our actions may to some degree impact on the lives of law-abiding citizens in terms of our checkpoints, in terms of our searches, but we will at best try to minimize the lessening effects of the non-participating public in this kind of acts of violence.

‘To the criminals, we say that we will be decipher after you with maintaining the, within the confines of the law, of course. And so we want you to remember as well that these acts of violence does not also put your family at risk because the risk of retaliation. So if you think about taking up the gun, you have to remember as well that your families can be impacted by the violence in retaliation.’

But Jones said he does not think that time has come as yet for a sate of emergency (SoE) to be declared in Belize.

‘Well, the issue of SOE, while many may think that it is the, from the department, the department does not do SoE proclamations. And so we will continue to do what we are doing and improve where we can.

‘As it is often said, the greatest room is the room for improvement. So we’ll be improving where we can to address the situation. The matter of SOE, if and when that comes, then we will deal with that accordingly.’

Jones said that having spoken to the commanders and other stakeholders ‘I am firm of the view that we are not there yet in terms of an SOE. So we will try to see what we can do to arrest the situation’.

West Indies defeated Nepal by 10 wickets in the third and final T20I of the Unity Cup here at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Scores

NEPAL 122 in 19.5 overs (Khushal Bhurtel 39, Sandeep Jora 14; Ramon Simmonds 4-15, Jediah Blades 2-20).

WEST INDIES 123-0 in 12.2 overs (Amir Jangoo 74 not out, Akeem Auguste 41 not out)

*Nepal won the 3-match series 2-1

The Dominica government says public servants including teachers are to receive millions of dollars (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) in backpay following the conclusion of salary negotiations.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said the negotiations were concluded last month with the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) and the Dominica Association of Teachers(DAT) for the period 2021-2024 and 2024-2027.

He said that the agreed-upon salary measures have come info effect starting this September and that public officers will receive an eight per cent salary increase, three per cent in 2024/25, two per cent in 2025/26, and three per cent in 2026/27 over the 2024-2027 period. Skerrit said in addition, back pay totaling EC$2,974,064.23 will be disbursed by November 2025.

He said effective this month teachers will receive salary increases on the same schedule, along with new allowances to support their work.

Skerrit said that the government has committed to the payment of a new resource allowance, and they will receive back pay amounting to EC$1,051,589.57, scheduled for disbursement in October 2025.

He said effective July 2025, the Police Welfare Association (PWA) had also agreed to an eight per cent increase over the 2024-27 Triennium.

According to Prime Minister Skerrit, officers across the board are receiving a monthly risk allowance of EC$250 from July 2025 along with financial support to the PWA. He said back pay of EC$465,334 was also paid to the officers in May, 2025.

‘Our public officers and our teachers are the backbone of national development, and we are happy to have reached this agreement with both parties,’ Skerrit told reporters, adding ‘I thank the leadership of the DPSU and the DAT for their constructive engagement throughout this process, and I salute all public officers and teachers for their service to country’.

Meanwhile, trade unions here have launched a trade union congress (DTUC) under the theme ‘Consolidating Trade Union Power through Unity and Solidarity’

The TUC brings together the DPSU, the DAT, the Dominica Amalgamated Workers Union (DAWU) and Waterfront and Allied Workers Union (WAWU).

Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Joni T. Musabayana (DBL), said that the launch of the DTUC ‘is no small achievement,’ saying ‘it is the beginning of a new chapter for the workers of Dominica.

‘This step strengthens workers’ representation in the country. It also strengthens your voice in the Caribbean, and in the wider international labour movement.’.

‘Unity is not only about standing together. It is also about being effective. No single union, however strong, can on its own shape the national agenda. A united congress gives you a stronger seat at the table of social dialogue. It allows you to speak with one voice in defence of workers’ rights. It makes it possible to influence policy, to negotiate better conditions, and to stand firm against injustice.’

The DTUC is headed by Steve Michael Joseph of the DPSU.

With the highly anticipated Test series against India on the horizon, West Indies vice-captain Jomel Warrican has expressed a quiet confidence in his team’s preparations, emphasising a focus on the present moment and the hard work being put in on the training grounds in Ahmedabad.

West Indies vice-captain Jomel Warrican

The Caribbean squad has been acclimatising for the past couple of days, and Warrican, a left-arm spinner who could play a pivotal role in the subcontinental conditions, believes the intensive camp has been beneficial.

‘It’s given us a lot of confidence, me as a left-arm spinner,’ Warrican stated.

While he acknowledged the past success of left-arm spinners against the Indian batting line-up, he was quick to dismiss any notion of relying on history.

‘It’s impressive that left-arm spinners have done well against India, but at the same time, you can’t live too much in the past. You have to be in the present and just focus on the job at hand.’

The team’s preparation has been thorough, featuring two demanding all-day sessions designed to simulate the rigours of a Test match. According to Warrican, every department is being fine-tuned.

‘The batsmen have been doing a lot of drills, whether it be sweeping, playing off the back foot, for our defensive or lofty shot, just backing the game plan,’ he explained.

The bowlers, too, are leaving no stone unturned. ‘The spinners or the pacers, or should I say the bowlers, have been hitting their lengths on target very consistently, doing a lot of spot bowling as well, and then taking that into bowling against the batsmen.’

Underpinning the intense physical work is a clear mental philosophy instilled by the coaching staff. The message is to play with freedom and enjoyment.

‘The coaches have really instilled in us to be free and back your game plans and enjoy your cricket,’ Warrican shared. ‘Any time you step on a field, don’t be tense. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Just try and enjoy the moment and live in the moment. Just have some fun while you’re playing, but still be aware of what’s happening around you.’