3 weeks ago, we showed you how the workers of the First Caribbean International Bank staged an early morning and lunchtime protest. They were providing previews of coming attractions with the condition that if the negotiations with the exiting corporate management of the bank continued to stall, they would take it to the next level.
Well, today they did, all the employees who are members of Christian Workers Union did not show up for work at all the branches countrywide. They were determined to force a shutdown of normal operations but to our knowledge, the main Belize City Branch and the Belmopan branch managed to keep their doors open because non-unionized employees, and other contracted workers kept up minimal operations.
A late evening statement from the CWU says that this protest will continue and portends that there will be all kinds of complications from the lack of staff to complete necessary tasks. The employees, we are told, have taken such a tough stance because they suspect the management is stalling on settling its labour affairs, until their exit is finalized. Now the impending threat of a strike is just what caused the breakdown in negotiations, but the workers ratcheted up hostilities by going ahead with the strike.
Today, they spoke for themselves on the picket line this morning:
Derrick Perrera, Chief Union Rep. FCIB Staff
"We have planned a strike for today. None of our employees from our branches should report to work today and most of our employees are out here demonstrating against the way how we have been treated. To date our negotiations have not been progressing as we think that they should be and we just want to make our voices heard. We have been quite for a very long time. However, there are certain things that employees are very upset about, the fact that we were advised that the bank is selling. We don't know when the bank is closing. So, basically everybody life is in limbo waiting to see what is going to happen. We've been unable to settle our CBA and exit package. So, even if persons were intending to leave, they can't compare what they would get now as opposed or if they should leave. Those are some of the things that we are upset about. The fact that what is a given that employees are not going to have a job as of November, December, January. However, what is also given is that we have loans to pay and so at the end of the day all we are asking is for the bank to be fair with us."
Daniel Ortiz
"The bank being closed today is as a result of the united front that the employees have launched?"
Derrick Perrera, Chief Union Rep. FCIB Staff
"Well as best as possible all our unionize employees have stuck together and I can't say for sure what is happening at the other branches, but over there I see that they are open. However, we are of the opinion that they will not be able to carry on business as usual with all of our employees out here."
Amy Forte, Employee FCIB
"The bank is here because of the support that we have given to them and now they are leaving. It's their time to give us that support and we are not getting it. So, we have to stand together for what we believe - fair is fair."
Deon Pitter, Trustee - CWU
"What we are learning from this process is that we can't leave our CBA to turn into dust, because the CBA is very important between the members and the managers. The CBA is our guidance."
Today, country manager for First Caribbean glen Smith sent us a short e mail, saying, quote, "We regret that the action taken today…has affected our service to our customers." It continues,
"Our goal remains finding a resolution to the ongoing negotiations with the CWU on our workers' behalf that is satisfactory to all concerned. We thank our customers in Belize for their continued patience throughout this process." End quote.
Our information is that more patience will be required because the Bank's financial year ends tomorrow, even if the bank is opened, the limited contract staff cannot handle all the transactions required on that date. So, if the employees stay home, the bank may not be able to operate.
The CWU Statement from this evening says, quote, "the workers are in limbo…because…the Bank has refused to state an exit date…creating great uncertainty for the workers."
So, what in this exit package negotiation is still not agreed upon? Well, the workers tell us that they are asking for 4 things including an increase in salary, severance, and a certain degree of debt forgiveness. The bank had given their counter proposal some weeks back, but the employees do not see that offer as fair, and so it was rejected.
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