But, the Public Service Union is fully briefed and standing in solidarity with the Christian Workers Union by withdrawing their accounts from the Ashcroft Alliance-owned Belize Bank. The Port of Belize also operated by the Alliance currently has a million dollar lawsuit against the stevedores for what the company considers an illegal strike. According to a press release, "The PSU condemns intimidation and retaliation against workers who choose to collectively bargain in order to better protect their rights when faced with injustice." End quote. Today the president, Dean Flowers, explained that this decision to pull the plug on BBL was an easy one:
Dean Flowers - President, NTUCB
"For me as a unionist and as a trade union leader it's a no brainier. When you attack a fellow public office you are also attacking me. In this case when you attack an affiliate of mine, you are also attacking me. It would be concerning to every single union that is an affiliate of the NTUCB especially the leaders because we see where members of the union and the leadership of that union has been named in that lawsuit. Those kind of personal attacks on the leadership should never happen and that is setting precedent and as a leader for union that also exposes somebody like myself who would lead the charge based on the mandate on membership for us to take industrial actions and we need to send a clear message that we will not support any business or anybody that is supportive of any employer that attacks the trade union and the trade union of Belize, we have enough of that already. When you look at the percentage of workers that are unionized in this country, it's a shame that the most exploited workers in the south in the citrus and banana groves they have no representation. When you look at the workers in the banking sector, in the insurance sector, they have no representation. I don't know that the media corp has representation in an organized fashion to be able to ensure they are properly compensated and that the conditions under which your sent out to do these stories that they are safe. We need to stand in solidarity with the stevedores, we need to stand in solidarity with the CWU and I call on all Belizeans and especially my public officers, we have done our due diligence where this matter is concerned to protect the investment of our union and it is for each public officer to also do their own due diligence based on the information we've provided to them as it related alternative banking services from the other banks and financial institutions and I encourage them to look at that and make an informed decision to stand in solidarity with the stevedores and the CWU."
