N.T.U.C.B. President Hoping for Real Outcomes from I.L.O. Director Visit

Luke Martinez

But, is this meeting between the I.L.O. and the N.T.U.C.B., which promises a brighter future for workers in Belize, solely ceremonial? We spoke to Luke Martinez, the President of the N.T.U.C.B. about today’s meeting and what he believes  will be achieved on behalf of the labor unions he represent.

Luke Martinez, President, N.T.U.C.B.

“For too long the National Trade Union Congress and the labor movement, not only in Belize but in the Caribbean, has been viewed in my view as symbolic. Since I became president of the National Trade Union Congress, I said it is important for us to get in contact with bodies such as I.L.O., I.T.U.C., C.C.L., our international affiliates, so that we could internationalize what N.T.U.C.B. is doing, what N.T.U.C.B. are about, and of course the struggles of the labor movement in Belize. When we got the invitation about two weeks ago, of course this is after us being persistent with these bodies, to explain, in fact we went as far as telling the I.L.O. that we are prepared to act as Mohammed that if the mountain cannot come to Mohammed, Mohammed will go to the mountain. So the National Trade union Congress was prepared to do what we need to do to internationalize our issue. Of course, it obviously reached the desk of the Director of I.L.O., and so when we received the invitation, I said this is a perfect opportunity for us to put something together, to present to the I.L.O., which would represent our struggles and our strength, weaknesses, and opportunities in what we do. That is what we were doing this morning. I have said, we cannot just allow the Director of I.L.O. to come to Belize and sit down and have ceremonial dialogue with us, or that we just sit down and express ourselves with them based on how we feel. So, we presented a well documented and we shared that with them. And they were glad to know the N.T.U.C.B. prepared a presentation.”