Will Stevedores Strike As Well?

Raymond Rivers

For the past few days, it has been rumoured that the stevedores would be striking in solidarity with the teachers union. But both the CWU & the Port of Belize Limited have said – not so. But today in Belmopan, stevedore and activist, Raymond Rivers, publicly challenged both Port C.E.O. Arturo Vasquez and C.W.U. President Audrey Matura Shepherd making the case for a solidarity walk-off.

Raymond Rivers, Stevedore

“I want to tell Mister Tux Vasquez this too and Miss Audrey Matura Shepherd, if you come out Monday and speak the truth about what is happening to stevedores…stevedores are working for the Port of Belize for over fourteen years when receivership take over. And a stevedore is only getting eight hundred dollars fi di fourteen years when ih come off. If Audrey want talk the truth and Tux Vasquez want talk the truth, they could talk the truth today, when unu go back to dehn. But on Monday, we di stand with the teachers a thousand percent. And I di make it clear to unu…unu try get unu groceries and try get unu water and try get everything cause I hear a next hurricane di come too so, unu need fi get double light. We noh di play, we noh di play. We noh fraid fi no Dean Barrow, no Godwin Hulse, no Senator Rocke. We understand that you and corruption bun out a dis country.”

Rivers’ warnings aside, News Five has confirmed with Union president Matura-Shepherd that no strike action has been agreed by C.W.U. The Union will be having a membership meeting on Saturday to determine whether it will support the Teachers’ Union and how.