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Their union, the CWU has been caught off guard by the announcement, and appearing last night on Yaya Marin Coleman's YouTube show named Belizean Workers Rights, Mose Hyde said they were not even informed of the decision; they learned second hand:

Evan "Mose" Hyde, President, CWU
"We know what government on the MOU is, but we don't know what their justification is. They have not explained that to us. We were informed of government's position on the MOU by the CEO of the employer to begin our negotiations - oh by the way CWU, I was just called by the minister of public utilities and transport to say that government's position is that they are in support of ASR going to Big Creek. We have not been engaged. We have not been emailed and said listen this is what we deliberated, these were the issues and this was the reason why you are going to lose 2 million dollars. That's has not been done as yet. Imagine, that has not been done."

"We were not even told come in and let us hear your side of the MOU or what you would expect of us, or how do you think maybe we cut a deal on this. We were not even afforded that, but they met with the employer who did not raise the issue with them. The employer did not produce the MOU to them. But they had a meeting with the employer and then they reported to the employer their position on the agreement, but not to the workers."

"You can't understand the level of insult that we feel. And I stated it in the meeting. I can state it now. We have been humiliated by the state. We have been treated like a piece of shit by the state. That's how we've been treated."

Hyde went unto address the deeper issues against the stevedores - who form the working backbone of Belize City's poorest neighbourhoods on the southside.

He said they should not have survived the privatisation of the Port in 2003, and now - as he sees it - this is the final plan to neutralise them:

Evan "Mose" Hyde, President, CWU
"There has been at the highest-level collusion and a conspiracy to deal with that bunch of people that they view as insurgents and they now have figured a way how they are going to deal with it, because in that draft policy, not only are we going to end up with sugar going to Big Creek, they are also going to share the. If left uncheck they are going to estimate what is one of the proudest traditions on organized labor in this country and I say that, that you can argue that. Some people look on them because they are loud and they are - listen they are 100% unionize and the benefits that they have in the face of what has come after them is based strictly on how organize they'd been how brave and how willing they've been to get on the frontline and defend their bread."

"Their record shows they are steel. They have been steel. But when you put the multi-million dollars of the multi-national ASR along with the millions and millions of dollars of the banana barons and you put that along with a billionaire foreigner, then you put that along with a government that is not going to be interested, the odds are wicked. In fact we are told that ASR was able to move its ship yesterday because Santander came to their rescue. Imagine the forces that have gathered together, like they are the enemy of the state, because they make $35,000 a year and they are black and they are from the southside and that should never be. That's the problem. I swear to you that's the problem."

"I would just like to say I had no intention of getting worked up to emotional. I really wanted to be composed. It's very difficult, because I have to admit, I am angry to my core. Thanks for the opportunity."

YOU CAN FIND A LINK TO the Belizean Workers Rights show on our Facebook page. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_qwn3EC2E8