The Belmopan Branch of the Public Service Union met yesterday in Belmopan and decided to support the Communication Workers Union in their ongoing action. Today that brought them to the battleground in front of the Esquivel Telecom Center. But it was no battleground today as the police backed off and let the union do its thing. We were there.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
With very strongly worded and creative signs on display - members of the Belmopan Public Service Union and teachers formed a human chain in front of BTL singing the national anthem hands held together as a symbol of unity with the communication workers. The union leaders say they had come out in support.
Zenaida Moya,
"We got a mandate overwhelming last night that no we have to be out here this morning. They want to be out here to show that we are in full support of our BTL workers and that we are totally against all the abuses that have been happening."
Jules Vasquez,
Where is it going?
Zenaida Moya,
"Well first of all a letter has already been sent by the National Trade Union Congress of Belize to him stating exactly what the workers want. The workers want that there be a new mandate by whatever government comes in clearly we are calling that new elections be held."
Dylan Reneau, PSU President
"We are out here to reiterate our message. We want your resignation Prime Minister and your government and we are out here to emphasize that."
Jules Vasquez,
He sees you all as a small crowd he sees the NTUCB 15,000 as inconsequential to his 50,000 I am saying if you do this he expects that from you he will not be moved by this I would think.
Dylan Reneau,
"The pressure that these sort of things bring on the Prime Minister we cannot really tell how many pressure is being brought but the reality is we are going to keep up the pressure and eventually you know when you have a pipe and water pressure is getting too strong you have that pipe break, that is what we are about to do and we are not condoning any violence, we are going to do it peacefully and we are going to tell this government and they going to do it. They are going to resign and we are going to get a new mandate from the people."
And while they formed their human chain, the protestors did it without being bothered in any way by the police. But there is that warning from the Prime Minister.
Said Musa, Prime Minister of Belize
"Let the message forth today. The patience and restraint of this government have been severely tested. Enough is enough. We will no longer negotiate with those whose clear objectives is to force out this government and destabilize the country. We will no longer overlook clear breaches of the law as it relates to strike action. The laws of this country will be strictly and fully applied."
Dylan Reneau,
"What the Prime Minister did yesterday was to threaten union leaders, political leaders, even business leaders in brother Kevin Herrera. We are not going to tolerate that and we are out here to show him that we are not afraid of his threats and that we are serious. He was not elected to power. He was elected to serve the Belizean people and he has not been doing that."
Zenaida Moya,
"We have a right to protest and we are going to continue because this government is not listening to us. All that negotiation Jules, that was just B.S. and we know it. We went in there in good faith. We in there good faith and I mean come on we even gave them a menu of options whereby they were areas of collecting taxes but they refused to and they said you know what you the masses will pay not myself, not the Bowen Company, not Ashcroft, not these people."
