Our team of Keith Swift and Alfonso Noble is just back from BTL. They are reporting the latest developments. This is that: a meeting just concluded 10 minutes ago and 6:40 pm. Participating in the meeting were Assistant Commissioner of Police and lawyer Eulalo Cantun, Commissioner Gerald Westby, Assistant Commissioner Crispin Jeffries, PUC Chairman Gilly Canton, Union Representatives led by Paul Perriot and Attorneys Michael Peyrefitte and Sharon Pitts Robateau. They came up with a formalized list of five demands. Here they are: dictated to us just minutes ago by Union President Paul Perriot.
Paul Perriot,
"We are demanding the 37% for one."
Keith Swift,
As a gift?
Paul Perriot,
"It doesn't matter how we get it but we want it so we are demanding that part of it. We are asking that they sell us it, in some form or the other, and then the particulars can be agreed on at a later date or when we sign the agreement. We are asking that a full disclosure be made on all the agreements with regards to BTL, all the E com documents, all the buyback clauses, and everything else that surrounds BTL with Prosser and Ashcroft. We are asking that the management staff remains in place because we as employees are in agreement that our management staff should remain as the management people at BTL. We are asking directly now that we want representation on the Board of Directors. We are thinking that as long as we get 37% we should have a director, or two, on the board anyway but we're asking for the employee's representation on the Board. And we are again reiterating that we want the investigation that the Ashcroft companies were asking for be made public. We want the investigation to continue, we want it to be shown from the time Michael Ashcroft took over the company in 2001 to the present time, well after Jeff Prosser left the company."
Keith Swift,
Paul we understand included in the demands is that the Prime Minister sign whatever agreement. Is that so?
Paul Perriot,
"Yes we are demanding that he signs any agreement that we need to have signed."
Alfonso Noble,
Paul is it all or nothing?
Paul Perriot,
"Yes this is it. The staff is saying all or nothing. We are taking the initial steps to get back control of BTL and its not only for us as employees, its for the general public of Belize also."
At the end of the interview they showed us two dollars with which they intend to begin payment for the shares.