Brief History

The first evidence of civil servants being organized was in 1922 when the Civil Service Association was formed. This organization functioned more like a staff association than a trade union. Riots throughout the Caribbean through the latter part of the 30’s included serious unrest in Belize. The Colonial power, on the defensive during this time, set up a Royal Commission to examine the situation. The Moyne Commission made a number of recommendations including the legalizing of trade unions in the region. In 1941 the Belize legislature reluctantly passed the British Honduras Trade Union Ordinance No. 1. This allowed workers limited trade union rights.

In 1963, the Civil Service Association became the Public Officers Union (POU). Between 1965-67, the POU rioted against the 17 Webster Proposals regarding the territorial dispute with Guatemala. In 1980, the Public Officers Union changed its name to the Public Service Union of Belize (PSU). In 1981, the PSU struck over the Belize-Guatemala “Heads of Agreement” London signing by Premier Price. In 1994, the PSU took industrial action against the government for payment of only 5% of the agreed 10% and 12.5% salary increase and also for a wage freeze.