7 News Belize

Civil Aviation Layoffs
posted (February 3, 2016)

While speaking with Tourism Minister Heredia we asked him about the rumblings within the civil aviation department – which he is also the minister of. Reports are that at least 4 air traffic controllers were terminated. The reasons we were told was that they failed their appraisals- a test designed to promote them, not to determine if they will keep their jobs. We asked Heredia about it today:

Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr. - Minister of Tourism

"Regardless if its tourism, regardless if it's in aviation, we always have to care to make sure that the people that we are serving get the best of the best. If there are procedures that you need to go; remember before it was a limited amount of people we had. Then government decided to hire almost double the amount of that. But they have to go through proper training because this industry is in the hands of these people. Whatever happens then they will not say the air controller, they will say it is government. That is the answer to everything, government; so as the minister responsible for that, I don't really get directly involved with employees, that's why we have our technical people. But again when I see and I will always tell my heads that make sure that if anyone that cannot comply or doesn't have the talent or the ability to do what they need to do then somebody; there are so many talented Belizeans that are in need so let's used the more qualified ones."

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