C.W.U. Explains Its Rush to Pay Stevedores

The Christian Workers Union, the representative body for stevedores, says it has been shut out of its online banking system, following an interim injunction by the Supreme Court. The decision to temporarily stay the disbursement of funds from a one point five million dollar payout by the Government of Belize has created a ripple effect across the financial sector, effectively freezing out the C.W.U. from conducting any transactions. It began over the weekend when the union decided to proceed with the processing of checks for a hundred and eighty-five eligible members. Those checks were issued out on Monday morning, ahead of a scheduled hearing before Justice Lisa Shoman. Having heard preliminary submissions from the C.W.U.’s attorney, as well as the attorney for the receiver of the Port of Belize Limited, Justice Shoman granted an interim injunction that runs through to March sixteenth. This afternoon, we spoke with C.W.U. President “Mose” Hyde and attorney Darrell Bradley. They outlined the union’s course of action and the effect the high court’s decision has had on the union.

Evan “Mose” Hyde

Evan “Mose” Hyde, President, Christian Workers Union

“Yesterday was the twenty-eighth of February, this is the day that all our members, the stevedores, had a fair and reasonable expectation based on the agreement that was signed by their bargaining agent which they had given consensus to, that they had a fair and reasonable expectation that since as a body they have complied with the terms of that agreement that there would be their share of that ex gratia payment from government which states the twenty-eighth of February. So as the bargaining agent, our guidance to the negotiating team was to do their best to make sure that our members would be able to access those funds on that date because we feel very duty-bound to that agreement based on the consensus that we got from our members. That is why yesterday was such a critical day for us.”

Darrell Bradley

Darrell Bradley, Attorney-at-law

“Up until Monday at two o’clock or shortly thereafter, there would have been absolutely no injunction restraining any member of the C.W.U. from doing anything, so that just because you file an application does not mean that that automatically grants an injunction. Everything has to be considered on its merits and everything has to be following the principle of the rule of law. This money is owed to the stevedores, they’ve worked for it, and people who may say whatever, this was a negotiated agreement to pay compensation for individuals who were deserving. That’s why the memorandum was executed. There is no reason that those payments should have ceased or any of the processes that C.W.U. had already commenced should have ceased just because at the least minute the claimants or the applicants would have elected to file for an injunction stopping the payment.”