By Aaron Humes: The ongoing controversy surrounding a recent alleged ‘sickout’ by Immigration officers at Belize’s western border escalated this week as Prime Minister John Briceño voiced strong criticism of the Public Service Union (PSU) and its president, Dean Flowers. The Prime Minister’s comments come amid an investigation into the organized mass sickout that occurred just before the busy Easter period.
Earlier this month, reports emerged that between eight and ten immigration officers called in sick simultaneously, prompting concerns from government officials. The Ministry of Immigration responded swiftly, placing several officers on administrative leave for allegedly abandoning their posts, despite the officers providing doctors’ notes justifying their absences.
Prime Minister Briceño did not hold back, stating during a media scrum on Friday that the union president should adopt a more cooperative stance with the government. “It is unfortunate that the [PSU] president, instead of him giving an example or talking to his members to say this is not the way to behave. This is not how we address issues. We sit down and talk then he tends to want to celebrate them. It is really unfortunate and I wish we could work closer together in the intent of the public service,” Briceño said.
The Prime Minister mentioned that he does not know whether there is anything to the allegation that some of the notes may be fraudulent, but the mass absences in his view are questionable: “You question when all of a sudden, eight or ten officers get sick all at the same time. They can’t get sick all at the same time. Something must be behind it, and for them to get some of these doctor papers. I have not seen the doctor’s papers. There is the allegation that some may be fraudulent. I do not know.” He continued that if there are issues internally to be resolved, there are mechanisms and outlets to do so.
While the Prime Minister called for transparency and dialogue to resolve public service disputes, Flowers accused the Immigration Department of defamation and overstepping its authority. In a recent interview earlier this week, he argued that the actions taken against the officers, six of whom are PSU members, were not only unjust but also put the government at risk of legal repercussions. “In my review of a few of the letters, the CEO and the Ministry of Immigration or in the Department of Immigration has essentially gone out on a limb and accused officers of sabotage, a very serious allegation, which in my view, also, borders defamation,” Flowers asserted.
Flowers emphasized that the officers followed the proper procedures laid out in the Public Service Regulations, which grant them the right to approved sick leave when unwell. He condemned the department’s approach, stating, “Who the hell certified unu to be, to determine what is a certified medical leave versus a fraudulent medical certificate? Who the hell certified unu as such? … Let’s respect the process and then let’s look into the welfare of the officers so that perhaps we can then uncover if there is any underlying issues, but [let’s not] act in a heavy handed manner with the view to intimidate and to prosecute the officers.”
The PSU has warned of potential legal action if the Department does not reconsider its position.
The post Prime Minister criticizes union response to Immigration officers’ mass sick leave absences appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Aaron Humes: The ongoing controversy surrounding a recent alleged ‘sickout’ by Immigration officers at Belize’s western border escalated this week as Prime Minister John Briceño voiced strong criticism of the Public Service Union (PSU) and its president, Dean Flowers. The Prime Minister’s comments come amid an investigation into the organized mass sickout that occurred
The post Prime Minister criticizes union response to Immigration officers’ mass sick leave absences appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.