B.W.S.L. former employees proceed with lawsuit in the Supreme Court

Antoinette Moore

A lawsuit brought against Belize Water Services Limited by five former employees, who contend that they were unlawfully terminated by the company earlier this year, will proceed in the Supreme Court.  Despite a request by Justice Courtney Abel for both parties to settle the matter outside of court by the end of the month, BWSL has opted to see the matter through.  Present this afternoon were Colin Morrison, Don Gillett, Charlette Barnett, Michael Novelo and Journet McKoy, along with Senior Counsel Antoinette Moore.  According to Moore, offers were made to BWSL on behalf of the terminated workers in an attempt to resolve the matter amicably.  The company, however, has chosen to proceed with court action.

Antoinette Moore, Attorney for Terminated BWS Workers

“As you know, the matter with these persons who have sued Belize Water Services for unlawful termination was set today for mention before Justice Abel.  The matter, we had hoped would be settled, it has not.  BWS came today and only today, through their lawyer, saying that they are not amenable to a settlement and wish for the matter to be set for trial.  So that is what will happen now, it will be set for a trial date early next year we hope.”

Reporter

“Was there an initial amount offered for settlement?”

Antoinette Moore

“An initial amount was offered by myself on behalf of my clients and even a second amount was offered, not in response to a counter but just in attempt to be reasonable and in an attempt to bring this to some closure without a trial, which of course is costly and time consuming.  Unfortunately, BWS did not see it fit to even respond to our latest correspondence in writing nor through a phone call or an email.  Only today as we approach the court are we being told by the attorney who is here acting on behalf of BWS that they are not amenable to settlement.”

Reporter

“Earlier this week we saw an unusual release from the BWSL Workers Union saying that they stand in complete solidarity with the union leadership and completely against you all who they say are slandering the good name of the union president in various media.  What’s your response to this?”

Don Gillett

Don Gillett

“My response would be Jules, facts are facts.  Anything that we are saying we can substantiate with facts, documents, etc… Would that release take away the fact that, I think what should have been done is her trying to get out, or them trying to get out what they did for us.  Show the public what you did for us and show the public what we did wrong so far to have to end up in court.  Why would we attack her and try to slander her and we were a part of that union as well.”

Colin Morrison

Colin Morrison

“With our case now NTUCB hasn’t really been dealing with us, BWSL Union has neglected us and now there is not an intervention from the prime minister or from government.  Nobody is actually paying this situation any mind, you know.  So we find that kind of strange too, I mean this is a government company, for all sakes.  So why is it that there is no intervention so far or we haven’t heard any as yet?”

The matter will be heard in the 2014 session of the Supreme Court.