The relationship between Belize Electricity Limited and the Energy Workers Union continues to deteriorate. The union is accusing management of union busting because workers, some of who are union members, are being laid off. The company says it is closing down its Magazine Road plant and the jobs have been become redundant. Last week the union wrote to Prime Minister Dean Barrow asking for government’s intervention and today – they took those pleas for help to BEL’s corporate front door. 7NEWS was there.
Keith Swift Reporting,
At midday today 6 police officers stood guard at Belize Electricity Limited’s main gate on the Northern Highway as a group of roughly 50 of the company’s workers circled the entrance to the company’s compound with placards and chants. Instead of eating lunch – the linesmen, office workers, and even former employees walked in the broiling sun to make a stand against BEL management. The man leading the charge is Union President Sean Nicholas.
Sean Nicholas, BEWU President
“The situation at BEL get to a level where BEL blatant and outright disrespect the union. It is disrespecting the employees and with these employees here today, we are showing BEL management that we will not condone it and we plan to put a stoppage to that kind of behaviour.”
Keith Swift,
What are some of the grievances?
Sean Nicholas,
“Well as you know they have the termination of Sheryl Cuthkelvin, the union negotiator, union executive in the middle of negotiations. Just recent as last week BEL terminated 6 employees, two of which are union executive. We find the move is just to bust the union.”
Ian Ferguson is one of the workers BEL terminated. He had been there for 19 years.
Ian Ferguson, Terminated from BEL
“I am fighting for those who are still here because we had a meeting with management and they told us coming early next year they are going to downsize some more and the downsizing is talking about not executive management or middle management, they are scarping from the bottom and that is where we have the problem because they are sending home the people who are doing the work not the people upstairs who are getting the high pay.”
Today Christine Perriott a unionist who stood up to a corporation and won, led the rallying cry.
Christine Perriott, Supporting BEWU
“These are workers that have years of service. These are not today workers or tomorrow workers, these are years of service and then just because they are standing up for people’s rights, they are standing up for the worker’s rights, they are being terminated. Those things are wrong. It is clear union busting.”
But it is a fight for the energy workers – and they say that now there is no turning back.
Sean Nicholas,
“I hope Mr. Young see the employees who are doing this here today and make him change his decision, start making solid decisions for the rights of the employees, the country, and the shareholders.”
Keith Swift,
What if they don’t and nothing changes?
Sean Nicholas,
“We plan to make our move, we don’t plan to back down. We take this serious. This is only a peaceful step, we hope we don’t have to go to a strike. We hope we can get this thing resolved peacefully.”
Dorla Staine, General Secretary of BEWU
“In everything there is a beginning and this may just be the beginning. You have all other means of action that can be taken. The workers choose to do this one. We’re trying to be within the limits of the law but remember that people have tolerance as well and as the General Secretary we draw this to their attention because we have technicians and other people who, I mean you could only take so much.”
A company representative reiterated to us management’s position that the terminations are not union busting. They are rather, tough decisions the company has to make and has been making since it began closing down its generation plants. The representative stressed that the company searches for other areas in the company where redundant employees can be transferred. Failing that, the employees are terminated but with compensation.
