Negotiations between the Belize Communication Workers for Justice and BTL are at an impasse. But, the BCWJ is the side which has remained on the offensive, vocal, public and plainspoken, accusing the BTL side of bad faith.
Today, the BTL negotiating team tried to change the narrative by hosting its first press conference.
BTL's team confirmed that it will indeed pay all the severances owed - including those outside the 6 year limitation period - along with the 6% interest - but they are accruing it from the date of the CCJ ruling, which was back in November. The BCWJ wants the interest accrued back to their date of termination or resignation. The difference in cost there can be as much as 50 times more.
BTL's internal legal counsel, Kileru Awich, explained that rather than going through the BCWJ, they are cutting out the middleman and former employees will now have to write directly to BTL.
Kileru Awich, Internal Legal Counsel
"Based on legal advice received by BTL, certain claims, including severance claims are subject to 6 year limitation period. By law interest is awarded on judgement debts for the particular litigants in a claim and award of prejudgement interest if any at all is within he discretion of the court, however, in the interest of reaching a resolution of outstanding severance claim by statute barred former employees, BTL took the decision to make severance payments to all former employees who qualify under section 183 of the labor act but are now outside the 6 year limitation period. BTL, as you know, engaged in good faith discussions with the Belize Communication Workers for Justice in that regard. Despite BTL's efforts, all negotiations with BCWJ have broken down and have come to an end. Now BTL wishes to inform former BTL employees that BTL will make severance payments to all qualifying employees pursuant to section 183 of the labor act even though statute bar by section 4 of the limitation act. Plus interest calculated at 6% per annum from date of the CCJ judgement in Irvin Marin and Belize Telemedia Limited which is November 5th 2025 to date of payment. BTL invites all former employees who believe that they qualify for severance payments under section 183 of the labor act to submit their information and details for review by emailing severance@livedigi.com. now each submission will be carefully reviewed by BTL and where the statutory criteria in section 183 of the labor act is met, BTL will pay severance payments together with interest calculated at 6% per annum from the date of the CCJ judgement in Irvin Marin and Belize Telemedia Limited to date of payment."
And once BTL assesses those claims, it will make payments within 15 working days. However, only if certain requirements, which Awich explained, are met.
Kileru Awich, Internal Legal Counsel
"for severance pay, an employee qualifies once they have completed at least 5 years of continuous employment with the employer and the employer terminates that employee for reasons that do not amount of dismissal or if the employee retires on medical grounds after having complete 5 years of continuous employee. And for gratuity equal to severance pay"
"The employee is required to complete at least 10 years of continuous employment with the same employer and that employee resigns from that employment after having completed that 10 years of continuous employment."
"We are currently assessing over 500 employees and you to appreciate that BTL gets requests almost everyday and so the numbers are dynamic and we're doing our best to process them as quickly as they come."
