A three hour meeting was held this afternoon at the Radisson between those parties and the Labour Commissioner Ivan Williams discussed the prospects after.
Ivan Williams, Labour Commissioner
“The joint meeting was held between the Belize Medical and Dental Union and the KHMH Authority in the presence of the Labour Department and several issues was brought to the table. Those issues, the parties will go back to review them and we have agreed that after they have been reviewed, that there will be a subsequent meeting on Wednesday at 2 ‘clock right here to discuss the parties’ positions with respect to those issues that have been raised.
Hopefully at the next meeting we can get positions with respect to movement and hopefully we can get to what we call a win-win situation where the parties would sign an agreement, perhaps an MOU, a Memorandum of Understanding.”
Jules Vasquez,
Would you characterize the developments in this meeting as encouraging?
Ivan Williams,
“Very encouraging because as you know from last week Tuesday I was appointed the mediator and I have been trying to get the parties to the table because that is how we resolve disputes, especially disputes that are in essential services. We don’t want to have people’s lives and so on and so coming to the table is the important way of discussing and agreeing to whatever the issues might be.”
Jules Vasquez,
How would you characterise the atmosphere in those meetings, were they amicable, conciliatory, hostile, acrimonious?
Ivan Williams,
“Very amicable. I was able to lay down the ground rules. We all agreed on certain methodologies of how we are going to behave and it was well respected by both parties and it was very encouraging. I feel very good and I think we are getting somewhere.”
Marion Ali, News 5
“So Wednesday what happens?”
Ivan Williams,
“Wednesday the issues that have been brought on the table will be further ventilated by the parties, by then both of them will have their clear positions and so on and then we will ventilate them and hopefully a decision can be made.”
Jules Vasquez,
How soon might we have a resolution?
Ivan Williams,
“I can’t say how soon but I am hoping the process will move slowly swiftly. Slowly in the sense that we don’t want to hurry nobody, we don’t want to be forcing anybody to come to a conclusion but very speedily in a sense at the same time allowing persons not to feel that they are pressured in situations.”
So the next meeting is on Wednesday and we’ll tell you how that goes. But as for the Medical and Dental Union’s response to the audit, President Dr. John Sosa today declined comment telling us he needed time to review and would comment tomorrow. It will be interesting to see if the PM’s position satisfies the union which has been firm in its opposition to Chairman Dr. Ricardo Fabro. You can find the full audit at 7newsbelzie.com.
