And the Port of Belize has a lot to say about the stevedores tonight - and they put it in a 3 page, 1,100 word release.
First, they stress that there has been no award of compensation to stevedores made by the Essential Services Arbitration Tribunal. The release explains that PBL - in a good faith effort- still made a proposal for a "Redundancy Package" with the aim of amicably resolving what it calls a legacy issue. They say, quote, "As such, the GOB was willing to make an additional offer of $1.5 million subject to the acceptance by CWU of PBL's proposal of 1.05 million (inclusive of retirement benefits and a smaller compensation sum for hypothetical "Loss of Earnings"). The total package, which included some retirement benefits, amounted to a package of $2.55 mill.
They say the CWU had agreed to: accept the. Offer and (make the changes on the number of gang members from 14 to 13.
But on Saturday, CWU sent an email saying that negotiations should focus on "sugar money" and that stevedores are only prepared to accept $1.6 million offered by the GOB for loss of sugar earnings and that the PBL proposal was rejected.
PBL says it stands ready to resume negotiations in good faith.
