As we told you, the former Bowen employees balked at signing a new contract which had terms and conditions that they didn't like, and they staged a sick-out. Bowen and Bowen said that they self-terminated when they abandoned their posts for 2 days straight. Well, the Belize Communications Workers' Union, the Association of Public Service Senior Managers, and the National Trade Union Congress of Belize released statements today backing the former employees and calling for their reinstatement, saying, quote, "the circumstances around which these employees were driven to take action (employment status alteration), feeling compelled to come out publicly with their plight, is indeed a travesty accelerated by a total breakdown of industrial relations." End quote. Additionally, the Belize Communication workers urges the employees of Bowen & Bowen to form a union amongst themselves.

In another matter that made the news, the NTUCB is calling for the immediate termination of Danini Contreras, the newly appointed Director of the Drug Inspectorate in the Ministry of Health. As we told you, the Pharmacists Association of Belize does not support Contreras' appointment because they believe that she is not qualified for the job, and she only got it because she is the daughter of the Minister of Trade, Erwin Contreras.