All week, the Port of Belize and the new law concerning stevedores has been in the news. The law makes their ship loading and unloading an essential service – meaning they can no longer spontaneously strike; first they have to give 21 days' notice. Now, as the CWU pointed out in its release on Monday, most of these stevedores are UDP supporters – in fact the union says it's about 90% of them. So then why the UDP government make a move against the interests of heir own constituents in their base – which is the Southside of Belize City. That's what we asked Mesopotamia Representative Michael Finnegan today. He's got plenty stevedores in his division and in an extended and outspoken interview he told us that the law will actually help the stevedores. Now if he sounds like his political calculus doesn't quite add up – here's how he explained it:

Jules Vasquez

"It has been controversial because some say the government is siding with the big man over the small man."

Hon. Michael Finnegan - Mesopotamia Area Representative

"There is nothing controversial about it and the government is not siding with no big man over no small man. My government is here to protect the interest of the small and at the same time to protect the interest of this economy. So anybody weh di talk nonsense about this UDP government the pass the SI in order to protect any big man, big man my hell, this government noh interested in no big man."

"Because of the strike who you think get hurt? Da no the small man that buy the small 7 pound and 8 pound turkey can't get his turkey? The small people can't get their turkey because of strike. Jules you think that fair to those people? All those people that have their barrel, where their family send all their barrel from New York and Chicago and Miami and all bout Houston and all bout the United States, they people the wait for their barrel, their curtain and soh and with their groceries in their barrel and their ham in their barrel. And because of the strike, those people barrel had to gone back to their destination. You think that is fair to the small and ordinary man eena this country?"

"My government is interested to expand the economy of this country and my government will not allow no group, no small group of people to bring the economy of this country to a halt.

Jules Vasquez

"However you will accept sir, this so called small group of about 150 stevedores, they are the backbone of the Southside economically."

Hon. Michael Finnegan - Mesopotamia Area Representative

"But it's not 150 stevedores, it's gang 7 that got together, unguidedly because they believe that the leadership of the union was not representing them properly and they made a unilateral decision and went off on their own in trying to protect their own interest and I can't blame them because they have absolutely no faith in the leadership of the union that represent them. Those people don't want no person that di lead they union di halla Dean Brrow this and Dean Barrow that and Dean Barrow tara; what the hell kind of leadership is that? So they went on an expedition without the consent of the union and without the consent of the remaining membership of the stevedores."

"One would have thought that the union would have gotten the rest of the gangs together; gang one to gang 6 together and explain to them you want to go this route or will you allow this one gang to lead you down that route; they naveha do that, they gone and they begin to shout the gang that gone off on their own. And you think that this government will sit idle by and sit on its bottom and allow a small group of people and to bring the economy of this country to a halt and to shut down the Christmas of the entire nation of Belize? Oh no my government will not allow that."

Jules Vasquez

"Mr. Finnegan, the stevedores are a special group."

Hon. Michael Finnegan - Mesopotamia Area Representative

"All groups in this country are special group."

Jules Vasquez

"You have a lot of stevedores who big in UDP though and who vote for you."

Hon. Michael Finnegan - Mesopotamia Area Representative

"And they will remain UDP."

Jules Vasquez

"You think so?"

Hon. Michael Finnegan - Mesopotamia Area Representative

"I know so."

Jules Vasquez

"You change the law on them; your government, under minding their bargaining position."

Hon. Michael Finnegan - Mesopotamia Area Representative

"But the stevedores are supporting my party and the stevedores that work closely together with me over all these long years; they understand exactly what the United Democratic Party government is doing. We no the stop the stevedores from strike or from protest. The stevedores have a right to strike and the stevedores have a right to protest. They can do that but they will operate within the guidelines of the law."

Jules Vasquez

"It seems like Mr. Ashcroft and Mr. Barrow make an agreement to say make we take control of these stevedores who are almost all afro Belizeans."

Hon. Michael Finnegan - Mesopotamia Area Representative

"Man Jules, Jules, Jules, Jules don't make I get irritable, no make I get irritable. Mr. Ashcroft my backside, my government has absolutely no interest in Michael Ashcroft."

Jules Vasquez

"There is an old creole saying that goes when you see me and tyga the fight."

Hon. Michael Finnegan - Mesopotamia Area Representative

"Don't help me, go help the tyga."

Jules Vasquez

"Well that is who you all helped, you all helped the tyga. The government of Belize helped the tyga when the poor stevedores the try fight."

Hon. Michael Finnegan - Mesopotamia Area Representative

"That is not true; the government is on the side of the stevedores. But let me tell you something further, I will tell you how we help them. You know who the take care of most of them for their Christmas? Because they no the collect the amount of money that they ought to collect because of the wild expedition, one gang gone bad. Me Michael Finnegan and the Ministry of Housing, da we the help them, all of them that come to me get help because they have not made the kind of money they were supposed to make because of the expedition, their wild expedition."

"I will repeat again that stevedores have a right to strike and I support them in their strike so that they can be better compensated. By passing da esass I di tell you we the protect the interest of the stevedores, I the tell you that we are protecting the interest of the stevedores."

Later on we'll have more outspoken conversation from Finnegan as he talks about Christmas Cheer in the Mesopotamia division.