As of October 1, around 20,000 public officers, teachers, pensioners, and other public sector workers in Belize will receive a 4.5% salary increase. The adjustment is part of an 8.5% increase phased package negotiated between the government and major unions, including the Public Service Union (PSU) and the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU).
The increase marks the first segment of the agreement aimed at improving wages after years of stalled negotiations. It has been welcomed as a step toward fairer compensation and restoring dignity for workers.
Talks leading up to the agreement were contentious. Earlier in 2025, the PSU declared a trade dispute over what it described as the government’s unwillingness to negotiate in good faith. Union leaders rejected smaller raises tied to pension reform and cost-saving measures. President of the PSU, Dean Flowers, even signaled readiness for industrial action if agreements were not honored.
Flowers thanked members and acknowledged the broader impact of the adjustment. “For a salary adjustment of 4.5%. So that is essentially what public officers, pensioners, teachers, police officers, BDF soldiers, Coast Guard officers, and all public sector workers can expect. I think what is also gratifying of this round of negotiation is that even those persons who may have been earning the minimum wage of $5 an hour even they will get that salary adjustment and so effectively in some way, in some shape, form or the other the minimum wage in the public sector will be slightly adjusted with that increase of that 4.5%. So, we’re very grateful, of course, to the membership first and foremost, who stood behind the joint unions to ensure that our cry for justice, for equal treatment, to ensure that we live a life of dignity was heard, and we were prepared to go all the way. I’m glad that it didn’t require us to bring work to a screeching halt,” he said.
He added that the 103-year-old union will continue pushing for broader reforms. “The PSU will not rest on its laurels because of this adjustment but will continue to advocate for, among other issues, good governance and an improved public service, which will bring about a better Belize for all its citizens.”
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Finance Christopher Coye stressed that better tax collection is necessary to sustain wage growth. He said the government must strengthen revenue measures to support salary increases without undermining fiscal responsibility.
The overall agreement provides for an 8.5% phased salary adjustment, beginning with the 4.5% increase. The remaining 4% will be introduced gradually, alongside the reinstatement of annual increments in April 2026 and April 2027, which were frozen during the COVID-19 pandemic. The arrangement covers teachers, public officers, security forces, and pensioners, with implementation tied to both fiscal conditions and ongoing union–government dialogue.
