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Government took over in June of last year - but now, the Belize Energy Workers Union is saying CEO Jeffrey Locke has to go. We found out what's behind the push from the union - when we stopped in at the picket line:..

Jules Vasquez reporting
30 BEL workers including a good number of linemen walked the picket line through their lunch hour today in front of the company's corporate headquarters at mile one on the Northern Highway.

There are many issues - in fact there is a six point list of demands - but the flashpoint issue is the termination of three linesmen - without due notice the Union says - and now they want them reinstated.

Marvin Mora, President BEWU
"The pointing to the key issues within those terminations is the fact that we have not received any single detail of what the specific accusations are against these brothers and we have not received any single shed of evidence or the documentation that led to those terminations none at all."

Jules Vasquez
"Is there any chance that these workers were terminated because they may have been under the influence?"

Marvin Mora, President BEWU
"If there is that chance the union does not know about it because we were not served any documentation or proof of that."

Sean Nicholas, Vice President, BEWU
"These employees already signed on to certain policies which deal with that situation when an employee is under the influence or found with illegal substance or alcohol in their system."

And so now they want those workers re-instated - and if not, they say CEO Jeff Locke has to talk to them or go:

Marvin Mora, President BEWU
"We want the CEO to stop working at BEL in the best interest of the company, its employees and its customers as well. Our people have already been sent home. What we are saying is re-instate the workers, lets us talk about the other issues; the bonus and the others issues that are pending but send our people back to their original post. That's all we are saying and then we can talk. If the union see it not necessary to continue to ask that the CEO stop working at BEL then we will back-off. But at the end of the day that is the position of the union right now."

And while the Union says it is flexible, they claim management is not:

Marvin Mora, President BEWU
"When the government took over the employees and the union was under the impression that we would have a better industrial relations with the new management but that was not the case. As a matter of fact they just came and fit right in and the union have many issues that could easily be solve were the management be flexible."

But the government controlled company likely won't bend to the will of 50 workers

Marvin Mora, President BEWU
"In terms of the current presence here at this picketing it is obvious that we only have a small minority of the entire group. However there are several things; one is geographic placement where the whole employment of BEL is spread across the entire nation of Belize, so we have workers in Corozal and Orange Walk who are all in full support of the union."

And they say with the support they have they could have escalated, but chose not to:

Sean Nicholas, Vice President, BEWU
"Jules, I have to tell you that the union could have planned something drastic for today. However, we unlike management have consumer at heart."

Marvin Mora, President BEWU
"We don't want to go down that road but the company does not lead us any other way out. So if it does happen the union already has a plan and we have already established a way forward. This is not finish until our demands are met."

Sean Nicholas, Vice President, BEWU
"We are a responsible union who will not put the country at risk without due process. This today is just the start. We are not ruling if we have to take the power out, we are not ruling that out. However we know the situation with the crime presently in the city. We could have gone a different direction today. However, the consumer we have at heart at all times."

The workers ate on the move - and never let their signs down, returning to work at just before 1:00.