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Hon. Francis Fonseca, Leader of the Opposition
"It is our understanding that there are some 60 employees who, to use their words, find themselves in limbo. They find themselves facing growing uncertainty about their current status and their futures. Before we pass this bill, this vesting bill, we at the very least get an absolute undertaking from the Honorable Prime Minister who is the Minister of Finance, that this First Caribbean International Bank Belize Branch has fulfilled each and every of its legal obligations to these employees including but not limited to the negotiation and conclusion of what they have termed their exit packages. But we certainly what it to go beyond that. We want to make sure that there is an undertaking by the Minister of Finance that these employees will be assured a fair and reasonable exit strategy before we pass this bill. So we can't support this bill while these 60 workers and their families remained in the dark about their exit packages. We certainly expect and I expect that the bank will act in good faith. I know the people involved. I certainly expect that from them, but we certainly have to place on the record here in this house today our absolute deep concerns about this matter."

Hon. Michael Finnegan, Mesopotamia
"Now what does the UDP administration Dean Barrow or UDP government have to do with a private action. If I want to sell my business to Said Musa, Dean Barrow administration cannot stop me from selling my business to Said Musa. Dean Barrow administration have to facilitate us in conducting the transaction. You understand me. That is small eye, small mind Jamesey should know that. So how can the government be blamed because Mr. First Caribbean Bank wants to sell out to Mr. Heritage Bank. What do we have to do with that? How can we interfere with that?"

Rt. Hon. Said Musa, Fort George
"These people are Belizeans you know. We are talking about Belizean workers. We have a right to be involved and this government if it had any sense of responsibility, if it is such a nationalistic government, should be concerned about the workers of Belize. You are not showing any real concern for the workers of the bank."

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Once the bill becomes law it doesn't actually take effect until I appoint a commencement date. I have said that I will not appointment a commencement date until all matters pertaining to the acquisition have been settled and all matters include the question of the negotiations between the staff and FCIB. He says I want the government, the minister of finance to demand from First Caribbean International Bank, that they will treat with the workers fairly and then he turns right round and says but I know Glen Smith to be an exceptional fellow and I have no doubt that they will treat with the workers fairly. So why you making the demand? I have spoken to Glen Smith, he hasn't. I have spoken to Glen Smith and received the assurance which he claims that in effect he didn't have to speak to Glen Smith to get...that absolutely FCIB is never going to walk away from its obligations. While as Glen Smith says he is not going to negotiate in public, he has assured me that what they will offer to the workers is by all sorts of multiples far better in terms of an exit package than what the labor act demands as a bare minimum."

And while the Prime Minister says he spoke to FCIB Manager Glen Smith about the exit packages for the workers, he had no kind words for the Christian Workers Union. That is, of course, led by Audrey Matura Shepherd - who has emerged as a nemesis - of sorts for the government of Belize. Both Prime Minister Barrow and Party Whip Michael Finnegan took her to task:..

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Whose fault is it that the collective bargaining agreement which laps over a year and a half ago was never renegotiated. The only efforts made to do so taking place one week before the announcement of the sale of FCIB to Heritage Bank. That is the fault of the union. And it doesn't absolved us from our responsibility to sympathized with those workers, but we must point out what the facts are. In this case, the fact is those workers have been absolutely unutterably, intolerably let down by the leadership of the Christian Workers Union."

Hon. Michael Finnegan, Mesopotamia
"The lady must do her job as head of the union properly. Stop behave quarrelsome man. When you behave quarrelsome sir, from my 65 years of experienced you do not get things done. Especially if you are representing people. If you are representing your own self and you want to be an idiot and you want to be quarrelsome, that is different because nobody else get hurt in the process. Anytime this union leader get up and she talk, all she talk is Dean Barrow and Dean Barrow this and Dean Barrow that. I don't know what Dean Barrow do that lady. Or why that lady doesn't like this man. But you must have done that lady something, because every time that lady gets up, she is disrespectful of the Prime Minister of this country. I will not say that. I will be very respectful to the lady, because I think the lady have some abilities too sir."