The majority of BTL staffers did not return to the work in the afternoon. And while the workers remained on standby, their union leaders are working on a response to government. They spent the afternoon getting both legal and financial advice. And that advice is to reject Fonseca's proposal of allowing the union to purchase 38% of Carlisle's 52% with the other 15% going to Ashcroft's "pillow talk." President Paul Perriot also says they made a decision to call off their walkout and ask employees to return to their offices tomorrow.
Paul Perriot, BCWU President
"We have decided, yes, and we actually are trying to ask them to go back to work tomorrow. I am not sure if we will have 100% staff show up to work because what the staff is actually saying is that we cannot just sit down and take whatever the Minister come and talk to us about as Bible. We still are strong that the 52% should come under our hand initially before any one else gets any part of the shares so that we could have control of the company. That is what we need to get, that is what Belize needs that a Belizean entity, which is really Belizean, gets control of BTL so that we could offer to the Belizean public better rates and better service."
Keith Swift,
After what we saw today and we experienced yesterday when the disconnection n of service for thee hours and you guys going back to work tomorrow, some people might interpret this as you guys backing down.
Paul Perriot,
"Well the frustration is there. I must say the employees are angry. There is no sense of backing down in our eyes. What we are doing now is regrouping with the information we got today, getting advice on what we heard. Our main thing is getting advice and the Belizean public will hear us then, they will feel us no matter out of whatever consequence or whatever we get from this advice we will make it known to the public as to what we will be doing."
Again the union will continue meeting with legal and financial advisors for help on a draft of a document to present to government. The document will first have to be approved by their members. And Perriot notes that they intend to make it more than a proposal to government, they hope to make a legally binding document.
