Tonight, residents and businesses who were expecting their shipments to arrive in the country are wondering whether they'll get them at all. That's because the stevedores' strike is still ongoing and all eight sugar gangs are in it together.
To put it into more relatable context: those ships sitting out in the port have containers full of the food items you eat, the soaps and shampoos you shower with, the ramen you eat, and just about any other basic supply you can think of, along with other imported commodities and luxury items. And as you heard yesterday, it's leading to a shipping crisis that can have dire effects on the economy since you, the consumer, will have to pay the added costs associated with a shutdown of the sovereign port.
But while you may look at the stevedores as the "bad guys," the CWU held a press conference today to explain their plight and to lay bare their struggles with the Port of Belize. You've heard the complaints time and time again but for the stevedores, they've had to deal with what they feel is unfair treatment for decades.
And today the CWU is asking for your understanding as they do what they believe they need to in order to make some progress. Courtney Menzies was at the press conference today and has this story.
There are currently about 700 containers waiting at the Port of Belize that should have been unloaded this week. But the stevedores are not backing down and as of Wednesday, January 19th, all gangs have been on a full strike.
But while this weekend saw plenty of virtual meetings between CWU, the receivership's management, and even the Ministry of Public Utilities and the Belize Port Authority, the stevedores and PBL are still at an impasse.
Evan "Mose" Hyde, President, CWU
"Unfortunately proposals about reducing the number of gangs and comments made in the media by the receivership's management concerning issues surrounding the loss of sugar earnings exacerbated open wounds and has now placed the unresolved gridlocked negotiations of findings a financial settlement in the aftermath of the sugar lost in the front and center of everything."
The heart of the issue is not a simple one, but it stems from sugar ships that went south late last year and a belief that the stevedores should be compensated for the 4.5 million dollars in lost earnings. But rather than talk cash, PBL has proposed to cut down the gangs by half - meaning about 50 stevedores would be without jobs. This proposal is what led to the vote for industrial action back in 2021.
Evan "Mose" Hyde, President, CWU
"Put yourself in the shoes of our members on Saturday afternoon. In the middle of everything that has happened, everything that has happened since about May of last year, only to have that in the middle of discussing the Thursday dispute, that we were once again proposed the reduction of gangs. This very thing that had provoked our members in November of 2021. This very thing that has so enraged them. What would you do?"
"I say to all workers, put yourself in the shoes of Stevedores. Put yourself in the shoes of stevedores who in the midst of trying to advocate and negotiate for what they are completely convinced is a fair expectation. They are being asked to surrender membership, in the middle of that. Imagine right now if the teachers were in a negotiation and as a part of trying to solve it they were told but you will have to give up 25% of your positions. Imagine, since you bring up the Marie Sharp workers, if you are being told by the company that for you to get your fair renumeration, you need to give up some of your members."
But rather than go on strike in November - which would have adverse effects on the Christmas season, the stevedores held back - until now, that is. But while they're picking up their shields and swords, they feel that they are being villainized.
Evan "Mose" Hyde, President, CWU
"Fight to get an agreement to say if this happen we will talk money and when it happen and we get around to talk money, man say no we will talk gangs. I ask you Belize people, fair minded people, what you would do? Don't make them characterize our people as no devil who just want to create war and conflict, that's not what's going on here."
"Every time we have to stand they make it sound like stevedores are manufacturing an issue, manufacturing problems, manufacturing shut downs, now it's us who re to be blamed for inflation. Stevedores are responsible for inflation? Is it stevedores who are responsible for the price of gas? Is it stevedores who are responsible for how the tax structure is on gas? Stevedores responsible for the fact that they can't find truckers or containers globally? But quickly, oh it's stevedores responsible for the gouging going on in shop. BCCI had anything to say about the gouging? BCCI come on the radio and fight down the fact that when you go to a store overnight it went from 2 dollars to 4 dollars? BCCI didn't say a damn thing about that! But now stevedores are to blame? We came to fight against that."
"This was not a kneejerk reaction. This was not an overnight problem. Where we are is a longstanding issue, it's not even from 2021."
And the CWU says they've done everything to avoid getting to this point, but now they are asking for support and compassion from the public.
Evan "Mose" Hyde, President, CWU
"We are here today, brother Paul, to establish to the Belizean people that our membership has acted with tremendous restraint, that they have been responsible, that they understand full the implications of where it is they have decided to stand. But we have to put the record to them to see how we have been dealt it. For us today, is for the Belizean people to assess the situation."
And so, the stevedores remain on strike and the ships remain in port - for now. But the CWU is calling on the government to intervene in their first move towards the end of the strike.
Evan "Mose" Hyde, President, CWU
"So that is one, two is to call up the government of Belize to say you've got to step up and you have to do more. You cannot sit down and Pontius Pilate this. This is of your doing too, you were there, you were instrumental in how this whole thing came to be."
Andy Lane, the CEO of Port of Belize issued a statement to their customers in which they claim that they offered 100% compromise that was rejected by CWU. The statement continues, quote, "They have now moved the goalposts from their original demands, and the new demands are completely unacceptable as well as being illogical. This strike is highly illegal, and actions will be taken. Essentially what the Union is doing is extortion!" End quote.
Lane went on to describe the union actions as "errant" and not representing what the vast majority of its members want. He also said that this dispute is about a, quote, "crazed union hell-bent on causing chaos."
The statement then continues with Lane saying they don't expect a change to the situation until at earliest Tuesday afternoon, and are anticipating returning to ship operations probably earliest Wednesday at 6 o'clock.
It ends by claiming that the port's staff has received intimidating threats and that they will manage security more diligently.
