7 News Belize

FCIB Criticizes Matura-Shepherd
posted (October 9, 2015)
And so, with all this union agitation, today, First Caribbean Bank - which says it doesn't like to negotiate in public - released a statement criticizing Audrey Matura Shepherd's and the CWU's conduct during the negotiations.

The Bank opens its first press release on the subject by saying, quote, "the union through Ms. Matura shepherd continues to tarnish its reputation...we can no longer sit silently and allow this to continue," end quote.

It says, quote, "the Bank feels it has a duty of care to ensure that our employees are treated fairly…(but) our efforts to negotiate and a fair and reasonable package for our employees have been thwarted by the unreasonable actions of the union leadership."

The release goes on to detail at some length the attempts to have meetings with the CWU leadership, or to forward proposals which they say have been frustrated. The release makes out that the union has been intransigent, unavailable or non responsive.

They say that the cloud now hanging over negotiations is a notice of strike from the union - the bank insists this must be withdrawn for negotiations to continue in good faith. And - according to the bank - that's where things remain stalemated tonight - with the union refusing to withdraw the threat of a strike, and, quote, "declining the bank's suggestion to allow the labor commission to advice the two parties to suggest possible ways forward for the negotiation." End quote.

The bank says it remains committed to "continuing discussions...in the best interests of its workers in Belize."

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