7 News Belize

Rivers Riled Up At Port Again
posted (July 24, 2012)
By now - if you watch this newscast with any regularity - you should know Raymond Rivers. He's the firebrand stevedore - who seems like he's never happy with the port management or his own union representatives.

And tonight he's angry with both of them! Rivers called our newsroom to complain about a proposal being put forward by the port management.

In the ingoing negotiation of a labour agreement, The Port is proposing that union representatives who form a part of the work gangs that offload wheat and sugar ships, as well as containers - should no longer be paid for by the Port Management.

An irate Rivers says that's union busting simple and plain:..

Raymond Rivers - Stevedore
"We have a union rep. for the container, we have one for the sugar and we have one when we go on wheat and right now the man is proposing zero on wheat, zero on sugar and zero on container. This man doesn't want any unionism about Belize. This man is simply saying that with the union about he cannot chance people how he want. So at the end of the day I came to prove that this man is doing union busting and secondly my president, he doesn't care at all. He is on Positive Vibes buffing up his chest. When I told him about this union busting thing - he should have been the first one on the case. Now I am telling him about this union busting thing and he is saying that this is just a proposal. You don't propose anything like this in black and white, this is proof. The proof is in the pudding on this piece of paper here."

Geovanni Brackett, reporter
"What is being proposed there is you rightly said is a proposal. He can't stop the Port from proposing a particular document. So why are you holding him responsible?"

Raymond Rivers - Stevedore
"The reason why I am holding him responsible is because like what I said he is on Positive Vibes buffing up his chest, but I am holding you responsible now because the proof is in the pudding and when I told you about it, you are telling me that you don't care."

According to Port CEO Tux Vasquez clarified the port's position. He says if the union or the gangs want a union rep the port management has no problem with that, but the union should be the ones responsible for paying him as a union repo - but if he will be part of the gang he will be paid as a stevedore only.

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