On this day, 40 years ago on the Trade Union Congress was formed and this week the NTUCB is holding a number of activities to commemorate the anniversary. Today trade union leaders visited the Battlefield Park in Belize City to lay wreaths in honor of past union leaders. President of the NTUCB Ray Davis says the idea is to honor the past and continue following the footsteps of the leaders of yesteryear.
Ray Davis, NTUCB President
"Every TUC Day as we call it, we come and lay wreaths at the monument here to Antonio Soberanis and it's a wreath actually to all the leaders in the Trade Union movement and this is the only bust we have with a legitimate trade union leader so this is where we come.
For me it is one of the times when I can speak with the leadership of all our affiliates, all the people affiliated with the Trade Union Congress and my message to them today was that Soberanis and everybody else left a solid foundation on which we could work and they as the current leaders, need to be mindful of the kind of foundation that they are leaving for the generations behind us.
We believe that coming here every year is our way of reconnecting with that history which we think is rich. Our history has very good examples of what the trade union is and can be and needs to continue to be if this whole country is going to grow."
The week long observance continues tonight with an ecumenical service at St. John's Cathedral, the adoption of a park located on Neal's Penn Road and culminating with a solidarity march on Saturday. During the march union leaders stress that those who have concerns over what is happening in the country can come out to show their solidarity.
