Belize’s labour movement is escalating its campaign against the BTL-Speednet deal, with two separate actions now on the calendar just days apart.
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) is calling on workers and Belizeans across the country to wear black this Friday. The NTUCB frames the day as a visible show of opposition, urging people to wear black to work, school, or business, take a photo, and share it on social media using the hashtag BlackOutBTL.
“Wear black. Stand together. Let our voices be heard,” the NTUCB’s messaging reads.
The Friday action is only the first step. In a letter dated August 12th, the Belize National Teachers’ Union (BNTU) informed school administrators nationwide that its members intend to join a larger demonstration and rally organised by the NTUCB on Tuesday, August 18th.
According to the letter, teachers from across the country will join other union affiliates in protest against the proposed Speednet acquisition, alongside what the union describes as other mounting concerns.
The two actions mark the clearest signal yet that Belize’s unions intend to escalate pressure on the BTL-Speednet deal beyond press releases and one-off protests, aligning multiple union affiliates around a coordinated show of opposition just as Cabinet continues hearing presentations from stakeholders on both sides of the transaction.
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