And while the government side has been pulled to the table after the national business shutdown, will the same go for the unions? NTUCB representative Paul Perriot was also in the meeting. He said that he is encouraged by the talks on reform but at this point the union is not relenting form its position until further talks are held.
Paul Perriot, BCWU
"I think it is favorable so far. With regards to our other issues on which we do have as a partner with the BCCI also, the tax increases and other things that will be affecting us as workers, we've asked the Minister to see if we could have some meeting set up to discuss that side of it. We have some recommendations again to make with regards to the tax increases and we are expecting some response from them in setting up a meeting."
Jules Vasquez,
So but as it stands right now BTL workers are currently on a walkout and Belize Water Service or the union also have a outage, in the city at least. What is your position as it relates to this dialogue and the continuing direct action, the strike action, being undertaken by the member agencies of the NTUCB?
Paul Perriot,
"As is we're having a meeting with the NTUCB at this moment. I will be going over there to impart the results of this meeting and we'll be deciding from there how we'll be going or carrying out our continuing process to effect changes."
Jules Vasquez,
If I could assume you speak on behalf of people in the general populace I think while the discussion on reform is encouraging, or mutually agreeable reform is encouraging, I think what people want to know is what's going to happen. People are home with their kids, there is no school, children who have PSE are missing out, people feel a sense of unease, unrest, uncertainty, that there may be violence, there will be outages of electricity, shortages in water, interruption in the phone supply. What is government doing to settle this national unrest?
Godfrey Smith,
"You've asked a question to which you already know the answer. The best I can do is to say keeping engaged has produced what, all gathered here agree, was a productive session. So the answer has got to be that we have to remain engaged to try to reach a resolution. In situations like this you have to keep talking, you have keep discussing, and trying as best as possible to reach a compromise."
Jules Vasquez,
Will the government relent from its position of introduction of new taxes effective February 1st?
Godfrey Smith,
"That is a question that the government as a whole has to answer. I can't answer that. I don't know. We have to wait and see how discussions continue. It's a call that the Cabinet will have to make."
That dialogue may continue tomorrow as a tentative meeting between government and the NTUCB is planned. Meanwhile, the NTUCB is meeting at this hour, to consider government's new proposals.
