On last week Wednesday's newscast, we told you about the dispute between the Belize City Council and its cemetery staff.
These are the city employees who dig and build graves at the Eternal Garden Memorial Cemetery. Last week Wednesday, the cemetery staff refused to work because the Council denied their request for subsistence, which they think they are entitled to. When the press brought up the topic to Mayor Bernard Wagner, he insisted that the issue was resolved, and that the Cemetery staff would get their subsistence whenever they are entitled to it.
Well, the Christian Workers Union, which represents the 12 of the 13 Cemetery staff being affected, says that the Council's handling of this dispute is a classic example of the strained relationship that the union and the City continue to have.
In an attempt to resolve the subsistence issue, the CWU tried to get one of their leaders into a meeting held last Wednesday to discuss the issue. The CWU, which is the bargaining agent on behalf of these 12 Cemetery Staffers, tried to follow protocol and get permission to participate. They were denied in this first instance, however, because according to Mayor Bernard, they did not properly apply in time.
Well, the CWU applied again for a follow-up meeting between the council and these employees, and they made sure to send the email request last week. So, from their perspective, the council had ample time to carefully consider their request. They say that the City Council responded to it this morning, 1 hour before the start of the meeting - which they consider unacceptably late. Moreover, The Council also refused their request a second time.
Today, the leadership of the CWU hosted a press briefing to call out the City Hall. They say that City Hall is not showing proper respect for the place that the union should have in any such disputes. Here's how President Mose Hyde put it:
Evan Mose Hyde - President, CWU
"We deem the treatment, not just unacceptable, but for us, we have no other choice but to label it as union busting. Our member have some industrial concerns, some concerns about the labor site. They have some serious grievances and concerns, and we believe, and in fact, we are absolutely convinced that the way forward should involve the coming together of the City Council, along with our members, and the union that represents them. This should not be anything complicated. It's a no-brainer. If there is a situation that has become disruptive, because of the concerns of our members, that is the role that a union plays, to be that representative that create a dialog that stabilizes it, and charts the way forward. That is the way unions operate, everywhere you find a union. So, our request was not outrageous, or impractical. It was absolutely a logical expectation, a principled expectation that CWU would be in that meeting. So, we are very concerned, and we needed the public to know about what exactly is the thinking at the City Council, as it relates to the role of Christian Workers' Union because something is not right here. You had almost 5 days to respond to our request to be in the meeting, and at the 11th hour, you reject that application. Our presence there was not to be disruptive. Our presence there was not to be in anyway disrespectful. It was simply to fulfill the mandate that we have to our members. Of the 13 people who are employed there at the cemetery, 12 of them are Christian Workers' Union members. These are people who pay their dues, and they pay their dues because they want to be a part of an organization that can be there for them, when they have the types of concerns that they have had."
The CWU says that they have other members who work in different departments for the City Council, and they also have concerns which need to be addressed. So, they would like the tone of the interactions between them and the Council to change for the better.
We contacted the Council for comment, but so far, none has been forthcoming.
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