B.N.T.U. asks G.O.B. to safeguard B.T.L. shares

The Chamber of Commerce is not alone in issuing statements critical of recent government decisions. This evening the Belize National Teacher’s Union, B.N.T.U., says that among the issues raised at a meeting this weekend, was government’s “lack of transparency and full disclosure in its buy-out and impending sale of B.T.L. shares to International Communications Corporation, or some other interested parties.” The B.N.T.U. says since they met with Minister of Finance Ralph Fonseca in December to seek information on the issue, their concerns have grown even more. The union calls on G.O.B. to honour and safeguard the B.T.L. shares and other interests of the Belizean workers and people, including the five hundred and thirteen thousand plus B.T.L. shares held in trust by the B.N.T.U. and P.S.U. The Teacher’s Union, in conjunction with seven affiliated unions of the N.T.U.C.B., reiterates its strong position on the sale of their twenty-six and one half percent of the Social Security Board shares in B.T.L. In fact, they recommend that the S.S.B. should purchase another fourteen to fifteen percent of the available B.T.L. shares to help keep majority shares in Belizean hands. In an effort to reduce the possibility of repeated abuse and illegal increases in rates, the B.N.T.U. is also joining the court action to demand that B.T.L. be made to pay back monies charged to the consumers in excess of the rates prevailing before the illegal increases since December of 2002.