And while prison authorities expect to find the other two prisoners, we'd also expect there to be some disciplinary measures against the guards who were changing shifts when the trio escaped.
But, the prison bosses would be well advised to thread carefully before they fire anyone since the Labour Department just finished a report on firings at Kolbe. It all springs from the Belize Central Prison Coalition which alleged that there were arbitrary mass firings from the prison, and that there were other labour irregularities.
So, Labour Minister Godwin Hulse ordered Labour Commissioner Ivan Williams to conduct a thorough investigation. That was handed a week ago and found that during the 6 months ending June 19 2013, staff was reduced by 33 people, 12.3 %.
Commissioner Williams found that three staffers were terminated on the instructions of the Director of the Prison, Mrs. Taheera Ahmad based on hearsay, and without due process and fairness.
He also found that in some cases there was quote "an abuse of the termination process", end quote and workers were never told of the real reason for their termination nor were they given an opportunity to respond.
In other instances, text messages were used to communicate important work-related matters.
The commissioner found that KOLBE quote "failed to live up to its obligation to do all that is necessary for the proper management of the employees" end quote. He was speaking specifically to the lack of clear job description and terms and conditions of employment.
That 12 page report is pretty tough on KOLBE, and though he's had it for a week, today the minister told us, he is still studying it:
Hon. Godwin Hulse - Minister of Labor
"We finally got the KOLBE report - this was done under my instructions through the labor commissioner, we submitted to the unions for comment and there's a meeting scheduled for August 9th, with the Honorable Prime Minister to discuss among other things, that particular report. The report has been submitted - there are some recommendations as to how the management should adjust to deal with the employees and once Cabinet has looked at it and the unions are satisfied - we will impress on KOLBE to implement those recommendations."
Reporter
"What authority does the Ministry of Labor have to actually go in there and change some of these things that are perceived as being wrong?"
Hon. Godwin Hulse
"Well the authority for the Ministry of Labor is vested in the law - which the labor commissioner manages so anything that is a violation of the law - clearly we have to take issue with. I also want to press on you that KOLBE actually comes under the Ministry of National Security and Defence, so there are things there as well. One of the main gripe from the unions has been that the prison officers are not unionized. There argument is that they can be unionized and can come under essential services act and that is a possibility. As you know the constitution gives the right of association to everybody so we would have to stand by that as well. There is no such thing that you can't join a union - you have a union of reporters and broadcasters and that's the constitution. We will take into consideration the recommendations on the management side, but if there was any issue with respect to a particular employee being dismissed unfairly then there's legislation to cover and he has to take that up and clearly there's a process - there's arbitration tribunal which is a lengthy process."
Daniel Ortiz
"So as it is, the employees who have been terminated - they must take their issues first to the labor before you guys are able to intervene."
Hon. Godwin Hulse
"Basically - as I've said, the Labor Department has looked to see if there were any laws violated in terms of their payments etc. Any other gripes that they have, they bring it and that is why there's a tribunal established, to be able to look at it. People sit down, it's an arbitration council and they decide who is right and who is wrong."
The Labour commissioner has recommended that a properly staffed Human Resources Unit be introduced at the Prison and that there is more oversight from the Ministry of National Security.
The Belize Central Prison Coalition. In a release, the Coalition called for the removal of Taheera Ahmad as the Director of Prisons.
