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NTUCB Says Full Steam Ahead With CWU Congress
posted (October 25, 2013)
Tomorrow, elements of the Christian Workers Union will push forward with a national congress and they will do so with the blessing, support and financing of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize. The NTUCB Executive held a meeting last night where they decided that the October 26th promise must proceed as planned, no matter who doesn't like it. They followed that meeting with an unusual 9:00 pm press briefing at the PSU Office on Kut Avenue in Belize City and 7News was there. 2nd. Vice President Marvin Mora explained why they must push ahead:

Marvin Mora, 2nd VP - NTUCB
"We as a congress have a responsibility to open up the avenues to facilitate the process for those members who need the change, who want the change. We call on the membership of the CWU, we are asking them for them to come out this Saturday to go to Birds Isle where it will be held so that they can really put their house in order."

Adelaida Guerra, 1st VP - NTUCB
"He knows what he agreed upon and he has faltered to every bit of what he agree to do."

Marvin Mora, 2nd VP - NTUCB
"Our position is that there is nothing above the membership. We are taking this to the membership. We have some serious concerns from the CWU leadership. It is not from now that we've had these concerns with these people and it has come to this where the NTUCB has to open up the avenues for these members to come forward and take responsibility of their union."

"We know that these people say that they are legitimate leaders. We have heard the interviews and it begs the question as to whether or not they are reading their constitution because their constitution is very clear on how this leader is supposed to be elected and when these elections are to happen."

"I know that you've ask them as well and they have not been able to respond to you clearly and that to us is clear indication that something needs to happen for this union to be functional again."

"Article 8 of their constitution stated very clearly that it has to be 2/3 of the membership to call out this meeting. In other words they don't need the ratification of no any executive. No union can be subjective via a constitution, to be held at ransom by anybody including their executive. It is the membership of all unions who at all times are in control of their union. When they lose that control then it's when we have issues, then is when we have problems. The NTUCB is merely facilitating the process for that control to go back to the people who have to have that control for their union to be functional."

"No official or otherwise convention or conference or annual general meeting has been held since 2001. Therefore their leadership position in the view of NTUCB and based on the constitution that they are claiming they are following is null and void. As far as we are concern they may be leaders but their positions as they claimed that they have are null and void according to their own constitution and that's the reason why the NTUCB is facilitating the process for these people to have an executive that is not only functional but legit. We are law abiding unions and of course we expect that Mr. Gonzalez makes up his mind that this process has been made legit, not by the National Trade Union Congress but by those members who present themselves there and ask for the change. Now, if 2/3 doesn't show up then there is nothing that we can do because that means that they are quite satisfied with the way things are going with their union, but if the 2/3 or more than 2/3 that we expect come out and support the change - that change is legit in and of itself. They don't need any ratification from court or from no bogus executive. We are telling their membership that if they are okay with it then we have to make sure that they are expel of the NTUCB. We are not expelling their membership because of something vindictive. We cannot see ourselves condoning these types of actions from the CWU nor the membership if they so choose. We believe that they want this change. I don't think and nobody here believes that they are insensible that they don't understand what is at stake here."

The Congress is set for 9:00 am tomorrow at Bird's Isle. As noted in the interview, to make it valid - they need to get two thirds of the general membership in attendance. Thing is, no one knows for sure how many registered and fully paid up members the union has. No one with the exception of General Secretary James McFoy - and with his executive's very poor record of accountability and record-keeping, we're not even sure he does! But last night he told us that they have 700 members; so tomorrow's meeting would have to have an attendance of about 470 members to achieve a two thirds quorum. The NTUCB has indicated that it will assist in defraying certain convention related expenses.

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