Last night we reported on the planned strike by the Petroleum Haulers Association where transporters resolved to cut off supply to Shell gas stations countrywide and immobilise much of the country for the longest holiday weekend of the year.
And sure enough the strike was put into effect this morning.
But by this afternoon the Minister of Transport was forced to intervene. He called Shell and the Petroleum Hauler's representatives into a meeting to resolve the impasse. Late this afternoon, country representative for Shell, Joe Habet told us the outcome of the meeting.
Joe Habet, Shell Belize
"We laid out all the issues on the table to the Minister. At the end of the day we were succesful in getting the transporters back working and I think that's to the benefit of everybody. Thanks to the mediatation of the Minister we understood that we were not working in the best interest of the public and we were able to resolve our issues around the table."
"The biggest point of contention is amazing really because we have agreed with the Haulers, we will be signing a contract with them individually, we will to pay them the freight that has been specified by government. They are getting that freight so it raises the question why would someone strike. They are getting their contract and their getting the pay they are asking for. The main issue we disagreed on is while the contract was being negotiated, they were asking us to sign a temporary agreement which was binding and our legal advice was don't sign it. The contract is near its final stages back and forth to attornies and we are waiting for their attornies to review it a second time and they have not raised one problem they have with it because they admit they haven't read it."
Alfonso Noble,
"You glad this impasse has been ironed over?"
Joe Habet,
"Very glad and I am sorry the public had to suffer because it was unncessary."