7 News Belize

Belizean Workers have Rights In The States, Regardless Of Status
posted (February 10, 2014)
An interesting agreement was signed today in Washington DC that should benefit Belizeans working in the US regardless of their Immigration status.

Ambassador of Belize to the US, Nestor Mendez, and the US Secretary of Labor, Thomas E. Perez, signed a Joint Declaration in which Belize and the US agree to work together to improve the awareness of Belizean workers in the United States regarding their rights as workers regardless of their migration status.

Additionally, Letters of Arrangement with The Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labour and with The Occupational and Safety and Health Administration were also signed by Belize with the respective heads of department.

Now, the Embassy and its network of Consular Representatives will work with US National and State level labour authorities to inform Belizean workers in the United States regarding their workplace rights, including information about hourly wages and occupational safety regulations that are in place to protect them.

Belizean consular representatives will now have a channel to make representation to labor authorities on behalf of Belizean workers whose rights are being violated; again, irrespective of their migration status.

The idea is that thousands of Belizean workers in the United States will have access to all the protections available to them under the law.

Belize is the first Caribbean country to enter into such an agreement.

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