Appeals Court reduce award for Banana Workers
Also in court, a hefty reward of four hundred and twenty thousand dollars awarded to six employees in a union busting case was drastically reduced in the Court of Appeals. Emelina Bautista Rivera, Oscar Maradiaga, Rigoberto Maldonado, Jose Reyes, Julio Caceres Hernandez and Cornelio Gutierrez were fired in June 2001from Maya King Banana Farm in Stann Creek for allegedly being involved in a membership drive for the Christian Workers Union. Maya King, however, claimed it was downsizing because of financial problems. The group of six challenged the termination and in 2009 they were granted seventy thousand dollars each at the Supreme Court because Justice Samuel Awich felt that Maya King was clearly attempting to silence the union members, which was unconstitutional and violated the Belize Trade Unions and Employers Organizations Act. The Appeals court on Thursday reduced their reward to a little under forty thousand dollars each.
According to what I understand from this is that th Court of Appeal think that a violation of our constitutional rights does not deserve the strongest and stiffest penalties. This is the same thing they did to Maria Roaches the lady who was kicked out of her job by the church because she was pregnant and unmarried. Court of Appeal changed the amount of money which Chief Justice Conteh awarded. This is troubling Belize. So if GoB does someting against my constitutional right and I win the case it means that the Court of APPEAL WILL reduce the money I am entitled to. either this no correct or I am a fool.
I agree, this Government is making a mess with our Judiciary system….why do we continue to support their mess…. are we the fools or they????
bs with this system!! This poor people deserve more than that, nevertheless they are given less, nonsense!! Come on GOB do something about this thing!!