7 News Belize

Christine Wins
posted (June 11, 2010)
As we told you before the break, On February 27 of 2007 Telemedia fired Christine Perriot. At the time she was an employee of 17 years and the secretary general of the Belize Communication Workers Union. At the time, the Ashcroft-led management of BTL came under fire from all sides, including PUP minister of labor Francis Fonseca. But the termination proceeded until the court forced the company to take her back, and then she resigned, claiming she was harassed into it.

Through it all Perriot's life was turned completely upside down, as the then management of BTL pursued a scorched earth campaign against her and her attorney Lois Young, initiating the usual series of labyrinthine litigation. Perriot lost substantial judgments and at one point, her personal possessions were marked for crow footing as judgment against her for 24 thousand dollars was enforced.

But today, she won the ultimate victory. In the courtroom of Justice John Muria, he read a 73 page judgment finding that she had been wrongfully terminated and that she was entitled to compensation. For the first time in a while, she was genuinely overjoyed when she left the courtroom today.

Christine Perriott, Won Case
"More than happy, Jules."

Antonette Moore, Attorney for Christine
"Justice Muria's judgment clearly stated that he did not believe the reasons given by BTL for their termination of Mrs. Perriott. He said there was an air of artificiality with respect to the testimony of the BTL managers. Therefore since he did not believe the reasons he assessed all of the factors and determine that in fact Mrs. Perriott was fired for unlawful reasons in violation, in contravention of the trade unions and employers organization act. He then went into a very lengthy description of compensation and the factors that he considers in terms of compensation to the sum of $350,000.00. That was compensation for her loss of employment as well as certain benefits she would have had if she was continued to be employed and in addition to a 90 thousand dollars award for the actual breach of the constitutional right, the rights under the trade union act for freedom of association."

Christine Perriott
"We won everything that we put on the paper. BTL lost everything even the managers were proven that they were not telling the truth. Everything that we put on behalf of a worker on that the rights was being breached, we won on that. That's an awesome feeling. I feel awestruck right now. It's great."

Jules Vasquez
"Now you've been through so much Christine, I remember they had the items at your home, your personal possessions marked for being crowfooted. After all of that having been though all of that having been toe to toe at war with the Ashcroft alliance. Do you feel vindicated?"

Christine Perriott
"Very much so. I feel vindicated. I feel like David beating Goliath, you remember that? I feel on top of the world because workers rights have been vindicated to a max."

Jules Vasquez
"Do you realize that this is a major vindication of labour rights? What are your impressions from the labour perspective?"

Hon. Paul Perriott, Senator for Labour
"I think it's a total vindication of labour rights. I believe from the get go we've always had the opinion that what had transpired in BTL was wrong and wrong from a trade union stand point that if you are fighting for your workers rights, you cannot be terminated because of that. I think that it will give more power to more trade union leaders; they could stand for what they believe in."

Jules Vasquez
"How do you celebrate this?"

Christine Perriott
"Well this day I just set aside for God, I just want to thank God, everybody else will get thank another time, but this day I will set aside for God who has sustain me from then until now."

And while the compensation package of 350 thousand dollars is substantial, it is less than the over one million which her attorney had estimated she should be entitled to.

Since being dismissed from BTL, Christine Perriot has worked mainly as a full time mom, only working for a brief and tumultuous stint at city hall.

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize