7 News Belize

Port’s Industrial Action Countdown Continues
posted (July 14, 2020)
This afternoon, staff members from the Port of Belize and the stevedores which make up the Christian Workers Union were back conducting their lunch-break protest. They've been doing so since last week Wednesday, after invoking the 21-days' notice of intent to strike under the labor laws.

This is the union's way of keeping the fire burning, and maintaining public pressure against the Port's management for what it calls an "arbitrary and unconscionable ten percent salaries reduction". As viewers are aware, this cut forms part of the Port management's plan to weather the economic crisis brought on by COVID-19.

The staff members who were hit with this 10% cut want it rescinded, and so, they've joined with other units of the CWU to use their lunch breaks to make the point clear to management, that they aren't letting this issue go.

7News stopped by today, and spoke to one of the union's representatives about the midday protests:

Will Lambey, Worker's Rep, Port Of Belize
"I must inform you all that we wrote a letter to the ILO (International Labour Organization) located in Trinidad and Tobago. We also wrote a letter to the International Trade Union Congress, located in Brussels and we had the other sister union with us yesterday which was the Southern Workers Union, we had the PSU and we also had the GC of the BNTU. So with that stated we had a discussion yesterday and I notice on an email sent by PBL, they are asking the labour ministry to intervene with a meeting today at 2pm. So hopefully after that meeting if it actually materializes, then we should know exactly where it goes with our stance against we consider injustice and disrespect. I think the media is aware that the PBL workers are out here because of a stale CBA, which was delayed for the last 16 years. Our bonus was delayed since 2004 - or 5% bonus and starting June 16th here, Port arbitrarily took away 10% from our salary. So those are basically the 3 main reasons why we are standing up here in solidarity protesting every midday for the last 10 days we are here. We have also submitted a 21 days notice of intent to strike. Well that not for us as the staff, it's for more the essential services which will be the security."

The 21 days notice continues to count down.

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