Union targets Social Security Board
Some employees of the Belize Social Security Board are up in arms with management about the way a number of work related issues are being treated. According to Christian Workers Union General Secretary Antonio Gonzalez, one hundred and ten of SSB’s two hundred and fifty employees are members of the union and say the situation is serious.
Antonio Gonzalez, General Secretary, CWU
“Concerns about employees having with management, in relation to promotions, vacancies, fear, intimidation, coercion of employees to waive their benefits and so on.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“Why?”
Antonio Gonzalez
“Well it seems that management, even though we had tried to solve these situations or concerns of the period of years through dialogue and through the collective agreement, I think that we went through these processes but nothing has resulted in a positive way.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“Have you all met with the minister responsible?”
Antonio Gonzalez
“Yes, we met with the minister several times, minister Fonseca, and through his good offices he has done and tried to find positive solutions to the situation. I want to clear the air in one way, that our actions has nothing to do with the current SSB upgrading of contributions, it’s not politically motivated, this is a labour issue.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“What sort of industrial action you all will opt for?”
Antonio Gonzalez
“At this stage I cannot reveal it, but we have a certain plan of action to put into place. We have the procedures under the collective agreement, we are both conciliation and arbitration.”:
Ann-Marie Williams
“That being the final step.”
Antonio Gonzalez
“That being the final step, but we don’t want to go that way too. That’s too far, too far a process. Again, probably we ask through the minister concerned to seek some kind of solution. This time, genuine and lasting solution, a positive solution.”
A union press release has called for the dismissal of the Board’s General Manager, Narda Garcia. Up to news time our attempts to reach Garcia and Human Resource Manager Dalila Castillo have been unsuccessful.
