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And on the other side of that claim is the Port of Belize. Their new CEO gave us his corporation's side of the story today. He says the Essential Service Tribunal had to go on pause because the two sides were too far apart. He also says that the Port hasn't locked out anyone:
Jules Vasquez
"They say they have gang number four or number five out gang number five out there, they say, ready to work. And that you all have locked them out because they're is only going to do one gang, one ship. Your response to that?"
Ted Peralta, CEO, PBL
"Again, I'm unaware of any situation of what in line to the question you ask right. But let me just say no, we are unaware of anything of the sort. Now, it's quite disappointing. Right. That the CWU took the unilateral decision to renege on what we already had on the table. Right. Without even having a discussion with us."
Ted Peralta, CEO, PBL
"We then find ourselves that this obviously impacts not just the stevedores, but impacts Belize on a hold right? It's basically holding all of Belize ransom. Right. We have containers. We have perishable goods on these containers. Right. That obviously need to be discharged. And we find ourselves in the peculiar situation. We can't discharge it."
Jules Vasquez
"The collective bargaining agreement, which is the only agreement they claim to have with you all, says one gang, one ship that was totally impractical. And so an agreement was made. This is not to deport this with the shipping agents two gang one ship because the one gang, one ship was not working. Right. Now, they're saying what they agreed with as a practical solution with the shipping agents. They're accusing the border police of taking for granted, as the letter of the agreement. And they're saying, no, we will revert to the letter of agreement because they feel like you all have acted in bad faith vis a vis the Essential Services Arbitration Tribunal.
Ted Peralta, CEO, PBL
"During last week or the past four weeks. The union did meet with the Labour Minister and the discussions have still been pending for us to then meet the Labour Minister, which is supposed to happen on Monday. Right. Obviously we await for this to happen so that we can then forward across what was given to us by the tribunal."
Ted Peralta, CEO, PBL
"Now again, we find ourselves in an impasse because we see this has already been something on the table that is up for discussion. Right. And having done the discussion, then we don't really see why we are at this particular situation."
Jules Vasquez
"What I said was that they see that what they're doing is what's in the CBA, the CBA, which Deporter believes. Mr. Salinas, your predecessor or your predecessor's predecessor, signed. So this is not the legal I mean, you all are not taking hostile action because you all have taken their kindness they say as an obligation."
Ted Peralta, CEO, PBL
"Yes, we we do have a signed agreement from my predecessor's predecessor. Right. And in light of that, there was a bilateral agreement between ourselves and the CWU where several emails were exchanged. Right. As well as several discussions on the impact financially to these stevedores, our employees, was conducted after the final discussion was held."
"The stevedores then went ahead and worked the ships as two gangs for rotation per two gangs per ship, sorry. And furthermore, we paid them right there were enumerated for everything with no issues to the remuneration that was happening. And we had undergone this process for the past ten months. Right now, we are in the opinion that this was an agreement that we had, again, bilaterally among ourselves. And again, you see, we really took it unilaterally decision to just renege on everything we've had or everything we've discussed and everything we've exchanged."
Jules Vasquez
"What in the mind of the Port of Belize would be a satisfactory resolution to this dispute? Would you be satisfied if you all get a clear indication from CWU? Okay, we're going back to two gangs, one ship. Is that what you all are holding out for?"
Ted Peralta, CEO, PBL
"We are we are waiting. And we do expect that we could at least reach, again, a compromise or more to say a collaboration between our two or between ourselves and CWU in getting the two gang to work the ship." Reporter:
"Perishables are in the containers on the ship waiting to be offloaded. Customers on land are waiting to receive the goods that they have ordered and what have you. Until CWU come to the table, what becomes of those items on board that vessel?"
Ted Peralta, CEO, PBL
"Well, we are in discussions with the ship in line at this moment. We haven't had any confirmation as yet, but we are looking at different options as well as what the main option at the table is having the CWU come back to us and we get the gangs out there to discharge the container."
Jules Vasquez
"The economic pressure on all parties, as you said, is tremendous, but the economic pressure on the stevedores is he greatest. You know, you are a large corporation. You have an overdraft, you have a friendly bank. All the players in here have an economic buffer of some type. The stevedores don't. Are you all exerting maximum pressure in the hope that you break the union?"
Jules Vasquez
"Are you all holding the line in the hope that you break the union's resolve and you force them to do two gangs? One ship?"
Ted Peralta, CEO, PBL
"We're not looking to break any union in any form or manner. We want our employees to be satisfied employees. And if that means that we have to sit down and reach a form of collaboration between the two parties, then we are open for it. Now it comes as a surprise to me that the Labour Department has remained silent until now."
Ted Peralta, CEO, PBL
"And but we do expect that we would meet them shortly, as I said, on Monday, to try to discuss the matters and try to find our solution."
Jules Vasquez
"This is an essential service that the Labor Department should have or the minister of Labor should have intervened a long time ago?"
Ted Peralta, CEO, PBL
"Yes. As I said, I'm quite surprised to their silence in all the matters."
Regarding the lockout, Peralta later conceded that indeed when - what they maintain - is the wrong numbered work gang has reported, they have not let them unto the compound. The Port says it reserves the right to set the hours of work for the different gangs, but claims that - for example gang 6 and 7 were to work today, but gang 5 showed up. He says this was a unilateral decision by the CWU and it disrupts the rotation.
But, there's a major development this evening - a letter from the CWU to the PBL management. It says, quote, "the CWU is prepared, subject to the agreement of its Stevedore Members, to make the two-gang system permanent but with the following three (3) conditions. First, the CWU and PBL will amend their Collective Bargaining Agreement section dealing with "Hours of Work" to reflect the two-gang system. Second, you are to honor your agreement made last night to permit Container Gang 5 to offload the vessel, MV Aires. The two- gang system will then restart immediately for the next scheduled vessel using Container Gangs 6 and 7. This preserves the rotation and ensures that all stevedores are given equal work. Third, the CWU is requiring that you commit to a specific payment date, not to exceed one month, by which time the compensation awarded by the Essential Services Arbitration Tribunal would have been agreed to and paid to Stevedores.
The CWU is prepared to sit with you at your earliest convenience to work out these issues. But we ask that you immediately permit Container Gang 5 to work and then permit the two-gang rotation to continue with the next scheduled vessel." End quote.
