Email

Print

We went there after 8:00 and found the men of the waterfront in full swing:… When we got there it was a standoff - with the union demanding that two more of their members be put inside to be in work gangs.

Antonio Gonzalez, President Christian Workers Union
"No parties should decide unilaterally and the composition of gangs and this is the main issue tonight the composition of gangs."

James McFoy, general secretary CWU
"The two men that we put into the gang which the union outs into the gang they are not accepting and we are saying to them that if the two men cannot work then nobody work."

Poly Audinett - stevedore
"When they come in and say you will do this and that that is dictatorship. This is union busting, I tell Mr. Guerrero that to his face because I at this table every time. How will they think that we are fools?"

Antonio Gonzalez, President Christian Workers Union
"The Port went ahead and implements changes to the composition of gangs and we are not prepared to accept that."

Port personnel were on the phone to try and resolve the standoff until police were called - who pushed the unruly workers out of the way

Antonio Gonzalez, President Christian Workers Union
"To the media, the public and the Belizean people - we are being harass and some of our members are being push and choke by the military people. We will not tolerate that nonsense because we are not wrong."

That happened at 9:00, we got there a little after when emotions were high and raw with Superintendent Alford Grinage undertaking to work it out - and a resolution was reached by talking to Port owner Luke Espat.

Pitta - Stevedore
"Mr. Luke says that it's a win-win situation. We told him that we submit two names and port is putting one name. He says to work with it."

Antonio Gonzalez, President Christian Workers Union
"Tonight 15 workers are going. We will have our two people and Port will have one. Is that OK with you all? Do we agree with that?"

And midst that cacophony there was consensus An agreement was also reached for tonight and a meeting has been set for later this week….

PUP Launch Team 31 (- 2)

Thousands of PUP supporters went to Orange Walk yesterday for their party leader's divisional endorsement convention in Orange Walk Stadium. IT was the launch of what the PUP call team 31 - all of their standard bearers having been selected at divisional conventions countrywide.

The event was held at the People's Stadium and according to official police estimates the crowd was in the range of six thousand with eighty busses. We did not attend - so we cannot offer our own number while the PUP are claiming ten thousand. But it was lively and the Party leader wrapped it up with a spirited speech - we have this courtesy our friends at Plus TV:..

John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition
"Today the bugle is sounding in the North. The bugle is sounding in the North. We have assembled 31 quality men and women to lead the charge to rescue Belize."

And while the festivities were worthy of the grand old party - the entire theme of unity and PUP togetherness was blighted by two notable absences. Representatives for Albert and Lake Independence and Senior Deputies Mark Espat and Cordel Hyde did not attend - and once again party leader John Briceno addressed their absences - here's what he told PLUS TV:…

Reporter
"When you look at today's team 31 how do you explain the absence of two of your key players Mark and Cordel?"

John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition
"Well both of them told us ahead of time that they would not be able to come but what is very important is that their people were here both from the Lake Independence and the Albert division are out here showing support for my leadership and also support for the People's United Party."

Coy Triumphs
And while the PUP were in Orange Walk the UDP held a well-attended divisional convention yesterday in Toledo West. Incumbent Area Representative Juan Coy easily fended off challenger Senator Pulcheria Teul. Coy earned 1,752 votes While Teul got only 618. A total of 2,385 voters cast their ballots.

The Battle Of Press Releases
And tonight, we end the news as we began - with news of Telemedia. As we mentioned at the top, all weekend, it's been a battle of the press releases.

Government was first to strike on Saturday morning after it had effected the re-takeover on Friday night. Their release referred to the Appeal Court judgment and said that quote: The "judgment is declaratory in nature, and by itself does not deprive Government of its de facto possession of the company. For that to happen the appellant Boyce would have to go back to court for an enforcement order telling Government to give up possession." Then on Sunday morning Boyce sent out a release on a Telemedia heading saying quote "no further order of the court is required to confirm (that the former owners have full control of BTL)."

And then, the Government sent another release on Sunday evening saying, quote: "That release falsely uses the BTL letterhead and wrongly purports to be made in the name of the Board of Directors of Belize Telemedia Limited. the only valid Telemedia Board of Directors that is in existence, is the one headed by Executive Chairman Net Vasquez. That will remain the case unless and until the courts of Belize order otherwise." End quote.

And this evening at 5:00 Boyce sent out another release under the Telemedia letterhead again saying, quote: "the board of Belize Telemedia limited are leased to announce the appointment of Martha Molina as CEO of the company." It adds that, "any party including former board members who persist in squatting on BTL premises and attempting to interfere with the running of the company is acting unlawfully, and the Board reserves its rights to take legal action against those individuals."

And then this evening, the Prime Minister issued a statement saying he will fix it definitively. Days to come will tell how that unfolds but whatever happens we'll be on the frontline….