Tensions remain high at the Port of Belize, and all parties are anxiously awaiting a ruling on Friday from the Essential Services Arbitration Tribunal.
Negotiations on other areas of their working relationship broke down last Friday while discussing workers' insurance.
According to president of the CWU Leonora Flowers, the company must provide insurance, a portion of which is paid by them, and the remainder by the stevedores. And while the stevedores have chosen a new plan, the transition period hasn't been so smooth because, as Flowers explained, PBL wants to leverage it to negotiate different working hours.
She told us more today during a press conference.
Leonora Flowers, President, CWU
"We were to go to new provider giving better rates, of course with increased cost. Our stevedores had agreed to that, we will increase the cost, they'll pay an increase but there will be better rates and benefits. That conversation was flowing nicely until we were told a couple weeks ago that the Port will not be able to provide that insurance to go forward. That only insurance expired on Saturday. The new insurance should have commence yesterday, the 1st of October. They will us on Friday, unfortunately they will not be able to go ahead with the new insurance unless and until the stevedores agree to new hours of work. Bear in mind that hours of work is covered in the current agreement. We have said to them time and time again, as a responsible union, CWU cannot negotiate away terms in the collective agreement, the current one without sitting down and properly negotiating those terms. the insurance is already a part of the CBA, the hours of work is already a part of the CBA, but they want to tell us now we'll only change insurance if you agree to these terms."
"This last act of the port on Friday, we see it as complete disrespect in the highest sense and a total provocation. When the ESAt determined that they should negotiate an award to the stevedores, even to date that has not been done. This is a total of 20 months and they have not adhered to that decision."
"We went back to do ESAt there was an adjournment, the decision should have come last Friday, it has been adjourned now to this Friday. On the heels of that, simultaneously, with that bit of irritation that our members are feeling, we were then told another blow, we will not be able to continue with your insurance unless and until you discuss hours of work."
"We are not letting go of any option to resolve this issue, we're not giving any ultimatum to the Port, the port knows where it stands and we know where we stand, we know what are our rights so we will see what today brings, that decision was Friday and we felt it fit to inform the nation."
Marlon Middleton, Chief Union Rep., CWU
"We have workers that are working. at PBL without insurance because the insurance up last week. Honestly, I don't really know what else to say because we are working, we are willing to work, we did not shut down the port."
"They freeze the money, we haven't gone on strike. We ask for better insurance, they're the provoking us right now, they tell us they are not willing, we're still willing to work. So whenever anything happens, the country cannot blame us."
"That's how we want the public to know."
Flowers noted that if they were to go to industrial action, they would ensure it is done legally, since the union is already facing a lawsuit from PBL for the last strike.
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