And, going back now to the controversial proposed BTL acquisition of speed net.
A new group spoke out against it today. They are the Belize Communications Workers for Justice (BCWJ) - who are former BTL Employees who say they are being denied their severance payments by the company.
The new group held its first press conference today to address the severance payments as well as the acquisition of Speednet (SMART).
They started with the severance payments:
Ruth Dawson, BCWJ Rep.
"Some persons, at the time when they left BTL, at the proper time when they left BTL, they received their severance. So to say that it is not, you know, to take a position that we did not collect, that's not on us."
"Why did you not pay us at the time when you should have? And since the judgment, why are you now hiding behind this clause, which in my view doesn't even fit the circumstance, but why are you now hiding behind this clause that because we did not claim within six years, so it seems to boil down to a matter of goodwill, or perhaps ill will, why we are not being paid."
"And I don't think we want to allow that circumstance, given that we're talking about one of the biggest companies in Belize, owned and purchased and acquired by public funds, therefore for the benefit of all Belizeans, and certainly not at the exclusion of those who serve so faithfully."
And one may recall that there was a time when BTL employees led the charge for civil unrest. Well, now the tone has changed and the spirit of 2005 is not as evident. Here's what they had to say about the perceived laid back approach to activism now:
Michael Augustus, BCWJ Rep.
"Because of us pushing and the ruling from the CCJ, they are now entitled and assured that they will be paid. However, there are still radicals in BTL. But this set of radical people here who are now speaking out were the ones who would jump out there."
"Big belly, expecting the baby anytime, huh? Patty? Yeah, they are not afraid. We were the ones who stood up. However, they may very well BTL. We have to be careful because there are some vindictive people managing BTL now up there, top."
"And they may want to say, okay, you all want severance and then the kick up how to join into. We could sit down and negotiate and take you all out from the pension. We don't know what they're up to. I can say we may be disappointed that they're not speaking out, but I would almost want to assure that we can get their support when we really need it."
