The bugle call denoting industrial unrest was sounded once again from the Port of Belize Limited this morning. The Waterfront Workers again find themselves in disagreement with the Port's management. This afternoon a modest gathering of port workers picketed the main entrance to the Port because they say they are not being given money that is due to them. The workers say that over the past four years they have been contributing to a pension scheme with an insurance company where 3% of their salary is taken out every week and put aside for their pension upon retirement. 17 workers have just about lost confidence in the program and want out. It seems however that they can't opt out and that forced them to take their demands to the picket line.
James McFoy, CWU
"Some of the members want to opt out of a pension scheme which they found not in their best interest and they were given assurance that they can come out, based on the contract which they signed. But over so many months they have been trying to get back their contributions to the pension scheme and they were not successful. As a matter of fact I personally got fed up of being pushed around by both the Port Limited and insurance company; this one is blaming that one and that one is blaming this one. When you go the insurance company you understand the Port Limited is the problem and you come to the Port Limited and they say the insurance is the problem. So we got tired of this and the workers decided today, because yesterday was a deadline set, and up to now no assurance has been given that their money will be forthcoming. I don't know why they are holding back these people's money because they are not asking for their share of the money, they are just asking for the money that they contribute out of their pay. So basically the insurance company said to me personally that there is no problem, just that these people, which is Ports Limited, has to sign the paper and they will be getting their money forthwith. The way I look at it is if the 17 comes of out scheme then the scheme will become null and void because it will not have the percentage that is required, and so the big management are trying to keep this thing going for their benefit, so to speak."
Alfonso Noble,
Why do the employees want to come out?
Port Worker,
"Well there are many reasons. First I have to go back at the initial stage and I think when they implemented the pension scheme on a whole they didn't come straight to the workers, they kind of frightened some of the workers them, telling that it is mandatory when all the while it was optional. So at the beginning I believe the Port went wrong, they should have been straight with the workers."
At 6:00 this evening, the Port of Belize Limited and the Christian Workers sent out the very rare joint press release. It says that Union and Port management brass met and agreed that the 17 workers will be refunded their portion of the pension fund next week. The release goes on to doubt on the decision made by those persons and concluded that they have not properly weighed the benefits. But whatever they feel, the workers want their money and it will be given next week when the names of the fund trustees are changed and duly registered.
