It's a huge disappointment for the Communication Workers which has been in negotiation with government to buy the shares since February. During that time the union has received numerous commitments from government that it will be given the opportunity to buy the shares. But throughout, the union has maintained that it does not want anything to do with Sunshine. Today Union President Paul Perriot explained why his Communication Workers don't want to deal with Ashcroft.
Jules Vasquez,
The government has given the undertaking, time and time again, that the Sunshine shares are held in trust for the BTL employees. Why is that not satisfactory to you? Why do you need to see it on paper?
Paul Perriot, BCWU President
"As I said Jules, there is no linkage to that company for the employees of BTL, it is registered by two persons who we know nothing of. We, as the employees of BTL, wanted to control our own destiny in the sense that we wanted the company, that the shares would be entrusted into, to be our company that is owned by the employees and controlled by the employees. Definitely there is no language in the document that says that Sunshine is something for the employees. We don't know who made up the Articles of Association for Sunshine and we don't know who owns it-the control. If you look at it, I think, the whole point is that what the government is trying to do, in conjunction with the Michael Ashcroft company, is actually to tie all the 20% in shares that they promised the employees, into this company that is controlled by Michael Ashcroft. At the end of the day the voting rights that we were requesting, because that is one of the main points why we want to be in control of a certain amount of shares in the company---for voting rights and so we could have representation on the Board. With this fictitious company, it seems we will have no rights with regards to control; all of this control will be put into the Michael Ashcroft company."
Jules Vasquez,
What you all are saying is, its alright if the union gets the Social Security and Government money on concessionary terms, but in your minds its not right if Sunshine, a company linked to Michael Ashcroft gets it.
Paul Perriot,
"Jules why would a billionaire, Michael Ashcroft is a billionaire, why would he need Social Security funds to fund a company that he has set up; this isn't really set up for the employees of BTL in our eyes. Its not for the employees, its for Michael Ashcroft. When we went to the Board meeting we told them these money in Social Security are the employees' money, 400 to 500 employees of BTL contribute to the Social Security scheme so its our money in there too. Why invest, why lend this money then? All the benefits, this five-year moratorium, is actually going to this Sunshine company which is not owned by the employees of BTL anyway. We want that the funds, if they are lent to anybody, are lent to an employee share scheme where the employees are in control and not an external body that, not even, none of the Belizean public knows exactly who owns.
One of the main factors Jules about this whole loan scheme also that's being presented to the Sunshine, there's no collateral for the Sunshine Company; nothing is being placed for the $10 million that Sunshine is borrowing. The employees were willing to pledge all the shares related to that loan scheme, it was actually 5% of the total of the BTL shares for collateral towards this loan."
Jules Vasquez,
The Board approved it, Sunshine will get the money, so as much as this displeases you, or as it is against the wishes of what the Union desires, it is what it is. If you want BTL shares, you as the Communication Workers Union President, has to go to Sunshine and its Ashcroft relation, you have to deal with it. Are you prepared to accept this?
Paul Perriot,
"Jules at the moment we are actually calling a general membership meeting to actually put this out to the members of BTL's Workers Union because at the end of the day we don't want to get into any kind of illegal activity. As I've said, it is something that we are actually calling on the government now to actually come sit with us because we need some kind of clear understanding as to where we are going before we actually continue with this action. This action just causes more stress on the employees of BTL because it is something that we have been requesting and they said that yes it would be ours. It is just causing more stress and I think, before this thing really gets out of hand again, the government should come and let us sit down and discuss where we move from here."
Jules Vasquez,
Are you saying we could be facing another situation, a workers' walkout and a national telephone shutdown, could we be facing something like that?
Paul Perriot,
"Jules to be put it bluntly: anything can happen. As I said the workers are frustrated, we are just watching everything else happening around the country that we have been clamoring about, all the injustices happening with the government and everything else, and at the end of the day the employees of BTL, we are very much united so at any moment anything could happen."
Perriot says that even with the recent firing of the former CEO, he won't be intimidated and the union will stand its ground. And while we outlined the terms of the Social Security loan, the Government will do the same with another $10 million also to Sunshine, on the same terms.
