1 week ago
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The Public Service Union is raising serious concerns over the government’s move at establishing a biometric data system for public officers. According to the union, there was no warning that the initiative was being advanced nor was there any proper consultation with key stakeholders. The proposed system is expected to collect and store sensitive personal data from public service employees, including biometric identifiers, as part of broader efforts to modernize human resource management across the public sector. While officials have indicated that the system is intended to improve efficiency, accountability, and record-keeping, the lack of engagement with the union has sparked unease. President of the Public Service Union, Dean Flowers, says the union was not consulted on a project that directly affects every public officer, despite having a clear stake in how such personal data is handled and protected. Flowers also revealed that the union is now seeking answers through formal channels, including the use of the Freedom of Information Act, after attempts to get clarity during last week’s Joint Union Negotiating Team meeting proved unsuccessful.
Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union: “In essence, in summary, the system will digitize an entire public officer’s entire life within the public service. When he comes, when he goes, when he gets sick, when he didn’t get sick, when he took holiday, when he didn’t take holiday it will digitize all its records. Your P File, any letters, any correspondence, whether employment or otherwise disciplinary, your life will now be managed by a third party. A third party that God knows who manages them, how secure they are, we don’t know. We later on this month we’ve been invited to a meeting with that third party so that we can ask some questions of them so that we can be satisfied to be able to say to public officers that we’re okay with your life being digitized by a third party. Bear in mind we have an ISO approve, ISO approve seat you know ? We have a secure Central Information Technology Organization paid for by tax payers, managed by public officers who recently created a database for us to digitize leave. Who should have been looking at how do we amalgamate all the biometric machines across this country to be managed by them. But no. No. We throw all that investment away, we throw all the investment we’ve made in these privatized biometrics machines across the country and we’re going now to get a whole new one. That the Public Service Union has written to the Financial Secretary under the Freedom of Information Act today marks two weeks and we’ve not received a response so clearly we will have to refer this matter to the legal advice now to hold him accountable. For him to provide full disclosure on how did the Government of Belize enter into a contract for a company to install biometrics machines across this country, to collect the biometrics data of public officers without involving the union, without explaining to the union how these things will be stored, stored by whom, what is the security and safety features, how will people sick leave now be safe guarded because you have to upload in that system, how will people career records your personal records how will we safeguard these things and so it’s a serious matter and that’s why I’m using this opportunity to say to the Financial Secretary I have written to you in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act and it expires today don’t be surprised when you hear that we may be dragging the Financial Secretary to court if he does not respond to our Freedom of Information Act request. And we will continue doing this for many other contracts and practices that we see being carried out.”
According to President Flowers, questions surrounding how the company responsible for implementing the biometric system was selected, and whether proper procurement procedures were followed, remain unanswered. He further notes that the InterAmerican Development has refused to finance the biometric system which he has referred to as unethical.
Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union: “We’ve been invited in fairness to a meeting with the selected company, how they were there selected. That’s a question that you’ll have to ask the financial secretary and the contractor general who I am clueless if she knew anything about it. I can say to you that the IDB did not know about it and they made it clear to the Government of Belize that will not be considered as a co-funding or partnership funding as you know when you get these loans there is this local funding because it did not follow the acceptable processes. And these are the kind of things that really irks me because on one hand you’re meeting with these persons who are hypocritically saying that they want to make it better for public offices, public service, for the people of Belize, but then behind closed doors they’re engaging in these type of unethical and perhaps on lawful behavior.”
As discussions continue around public service reform and modernization, the union is calling for greater inclusion to ensure that the rights and privacy of public officers are adequately safeguarded.
English (US) ·