7 News Belize

Labor Trouble Brewing at Port of Belize
posted (January 24, 2007)

In late 2004 the Christian Workers Union was in an all out war with the Port of Belize Limited over the issue of stevedores who were being replaced by in-house workers at the port. That matter has since been settled with the CWU prevailing. but today the storm that the waterfront workers have the capacity to create seems to be gathering again. Today the CWU sent out a release in which it says that the port of Belize is breaking the collective bargaining agreement with the union. The point of contention is the termination of three employees of the port by management which called their position redundant. Now the union is taking issue with this and say they will not stand by seeing their members victimized. We spoke with president of the CWU Antonio Gonzalez.

Antonio Gonzalez, CWU President
"A new development came about on the 17th of January this year whereby the Port began to terminate people. The first person was Mr. Ernest Knight. We received a letter stating that due to the overall, and I wish to read this, 'moving times of technology to assist with the efficiency and productivity of the operation that you work, your post of linesman has become redundant with effect from January the 17th 2006, the date your services to the Port is terminated.'

Again we have a collective agreement with the Port of Belize Limited and in that agreement it states that any unanticipated action by the management of the Port that would affect the terms and conditions of the employees, the Port should consult the union. What is more negative about the whole action is that in the second sentence it states that due to the low efficiency, productivity, and overall job performance of this individual, that his services are also terminated. Now just in December 2006, I think 95 or 99% of the staff and employees at the Port of Belize Limited got a bonus based on performance.

It appears that this will be a trend, a new development, and we have to address it. As parties signed on to an agreement we have to address these situations. But as I mentioned, the management of the Port seems to be just pressing on to do arbitrarily what it wants. So in that sense, we wrote the management of the Port pointing out certain contraventions in the collective bargaining agreement and that we asked for an urgent meeting. That letter was sent on the 18th of January 2007, immediately after we received this letter. To date management has not replied to us complying with our request for a meeting. We are working within the ambit, the terms and conditions of the collective agreement. We are trying to work within that but they are working outside of that. So we are very strong on this matter. When it comes to our members, we want our members to be protected. If we see eye to eye with management of Port of Belize Limited, we don't have a problem. If they could give us good reasons why these should be placed under redundancy, we don't have no problem but then the union isn't involved in this process. So we have to retaliate, we have to object, and we have to protest this thing and we trust that this is not a sign of future things to come because then it could reach to s stage whereby there is a confrontation between the Port of Belize Limited and the Christian Workers' Union."

Gonzalez says they will continue trying to negotiate with the port and failing that they will take more drastic measures.

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