For Belize’s 165 stevedores, their Christmas bonus is a big deal. It’s fixed at 5% of their annual earnings and for many, that figure can go into the thousands of dollars. Traditionally, that much needed Christmas money is paid annually on the 10th. December. But when it wasn’t paid to time yesterday, some stevedores started raising a ruckus.
It continued this morning – and some of the stevedores we spoke to were even mad at the executive of their own Christian Workers Union.
Alan Sampson Sr., Stevedore
“We are having problems with our bonus money that they don’t want to pay. This money due to us from Monday the tenth and today is the 11th., and we come to the union now to find out what is the reason that we cannot get this bonus money.”
Ken Stevens, Stevedore
“They borrow wah money form Miami and, whatever, and it’s not fi we interest because da noh we went and borrow di money. Mr. Luke Espat borrow the money and Miami come today and want deh money. So when we go back there, they are in a meeting, when we come here at the Christian Workers’ Union they deh eena meeting. Like they got we di shuffle, they noh wah she when they gwen pay we di money, let we can know or whatever what we gonna do for the Christmas, you understand?”
Elston Willoughby, Stevedore
“We just want wah wah answer, you understand? Cause mein, right now it noh really easy, you understand? Right now we da casual worker and we have to wait till the ship come een back, you know? That’s all we wah know from this president or from Port of Belize, or from somebody, just give we wah answer, dat’s all we wah know.”
“We come here this morning to find out whe gone on from the president, but the president noh di show we no kind of gratuity or nothing.”
Alwyn Fuller, Stevedore
“Well this morning we come to the president fi tell ah bout we 5% bonus, this man wah jump down fi we throat like he di hold footsie ‘long with Port, noh wah look after fi we business. He gwen tell we, ‘Go da di General Secretary, da he mi di deal with them yesterday.”
“So, I noh see weh we di pay union dues for, he da di president. Did morning dat man gone on like wah dead -hole fi be wah president. Da man bring down shame and disgrace pon di Union and da he fi fight fi we case.”
James Mcfoy, General Secretary - CWU
“Now we don’t want to make anything get exciting, if we can discuss it and find out what is the position with the port. If you cannot pay yesterday, just say a day you can pay, simple as that.”
And simple as that we’re happy to report that this afternoon, the Port’s management and the union executive communicated and agreed that the checks will be fully paid on Thursday.
