Union contemplates strike action against B.T.L.

There’s trouble brewing on the labour front as the Belize Communications Workers Union is threatening industrial action following the dismissal of three B.T.L. employees. Andy Sutherland, Nelson Young, and Enrique Monima, are union liaison officers who all work in the stores section. According to the union, they were terminated without explanation in violation of the B.C.W.U.’s agreement with the company that all such actions must first be discussed with the union. A deadline for B.T.L. management to respond to the grievances was extended from this morning to five this evening. Union president Paul Perriott told News Five that if there was no response, the B.C.W.U. would give the mandatory twenty-one-day strike notice and as of Friday morning will initiate a go slow. A late release from the union, however, states that they will hold off for now, while consultations with management can hopefully be initiated. For its part, a B.T.L. spokesman told news Five that while it cannot discuss the particulars of any employee, there were valid reasons for the terminations and the union was consulted as specified in their agreement.