And while the aftershocks of that debate will continue to be felt for the next few weeks, as the Opposition decides its parliamentary future, the most pressing news issue tonight is whether the BTL Workers Union will accept the government/Ashcroft proposal to own 20% of the company. Just an hour ago, Keith Swift tracked down Communication Workers Union President Paul Perriot and this is what he had to say about the offer.
Paul Perriot, BCWU President
"Its not an offer we can accept because we know taking 20%, we have again try to finding and you know how difficult it was to try to find funding for the 37%, much less 20% now."
Keith Swift,
Today they said it will be financed by the Belize Bank.
Paul Perriot,
"And then that is the other part of the equation which we have to worry about. How do you pay back for the shares if you don't have control of the company? What we were going for initially is that we were trying to get control of the Board so we don't have that management fee slipping out in all directions and all the abuses of BTL's funds. If we don't have the control that we wanted, even if we're sitting on the Board, its like we're sitting there just to hear what the Board is deciding and we will have to accept everything, or even if we don't accept it we'll have to go with it. Again how will we pay back for the shares at the end of the year if Michael Ashcroft, who will be in control of the Board, decides that he won't pay any dividends this year. So what will happen to our loan? Those are the things which we went through when the proposal was put on the table and so all of those things we still have to continue taking into consideration and its not something we can accept just like that because they handed me 20% in my hand. Its not that you outwardly say you won't accept it, it's just that you have to wonder who you're working with. And if you take this 20% and you can't pay for it at the end of the day, you will end up without the shares. So what's the use in even accepting it now?"
Keith Swift,
With this motion passed today Michael Ashcroft will be the single largest shareholder of BTL and for all intents and purposes he will be in control of the company. Are you concerned that you will lose your job?
Paul Perriot,
"No I have no concern over that. We have 100% backing of the staff of BTL, Michael Ashcroft knows that and whoever he brings in knows that. But with regards to the 37% that he has which makes him the single largest shareholder, we know that is what was being aimed at initially. In meetings we've sat over this and when we heard about the 12.5% that Michael Ashcroft wanted, we initially looked at what that would have given him and where it would have put everybody else. And Everybody else now becomes minority and he now controls, eventhough he only holds 37% of the shares, he holds a majority above everybody else so he will be controlling. But with regards to, as I said earlier just now, worrying about myself or any of the persons who lead this charge against Michael Ashcroft and trying to get control of the company, no we don't have any kind of fear as to any of that. We do our work in BTL and we don't have to worry about that any at all."
