Its Public Service Union week and apart from Labour Day you might not have known. But after taking a mayday break on their day yesterday the PSU was back at work today but not in public offices – at the Children’s Home where a little help goes a long way.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
The Public Service Union members probably suspected that it would not have been an easy day cleaning house at the Dorothy Menzies Child Care Centre where fifty five children call home. It took a total of ten union members to sweep and mop floors, do laundry, straighten books in the library and even prepare meals.
Hortence Kelly Augustine, Foster Mother- Children’s Home
“It is very good for them to come in and see what we go through. It is an experience for them to deal with a lot of children.”
But why did these public officers decide to leave their workplace and spend the time helping Hortence Augustine the staff and children?
Cynthia Villagran, Coordinator – PSU Week
“It was chosen because of the children here to Dorothy Menzies, a lot of them have been neglected by their parents or sometimes even by the government and we believe that this was the right place to choose because these children of Dorothy Menzies are our future Prime Ministers of Belize, future CEOs, administrators and so we felt this was the best place so that we could cook for them, intermingle, and be a part of them for at least one day.”
The goodwill gesture also commemorates the first observance of Public Service Union week in Belize.
Cynthia Villagran,
“And as public officers we are a part of the union and this week we are educating our members as part of their rights and responsibilities where they could turn to if there are any grievances in the workplace, how to participate in terms of being a union member. The persons who are working at Dorothy Menzies are on break today. They are here but they are just guiding us in terms of where everything is that we are utilizing and things like that.”
Jacqueline Godwin for 7NEWS.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited and Prepared for the internet by Keith Swift
