P.S.U. Takes Industrial Action Against Belmopan City Council
Discussions between the Public Service Union and the Belmopan City Council have come to a screeching halt. Members of the P.S.U. executive were out in full force today, picketing the Belmopan City Council. The P.S.U. is upset and claims that Mayor Khalid Belisle keeps giving them the runaround in settling the union’s headquarters land issue. The P.S.U. says that following a series of meetings with Mayor Belisle, the Council of Management has taken the decision to discontinue further discussions because the mayor has not been able to reportedly give the P.S.U. any concrete reassurance that the council is prepared to settle the land dispute. Leading the demonstration today was P.S.U. President Doreth Obermayor who says that Mayor Belisle gave his commitment to reacquire the property from Simplex Design and resell it to the P.S.U. which has yet to occur. This led the P.S.U. to engage in a series of industrial actions which started today.
Reporter
“Do you believe that the Mayor is taking you all likely?”
Doreth Obermayor
Doreth Obermayor, President, P.S.U.
“Of course we believe so because we have had two sit-downs with him and he had promised that there were certain things that he would do like to meet with Simplex Designs Company limited to have seen whether there was a possibility of a swap. He had promised to send us something in writing and up to this point nothing has come forth. This something should have been by the fifteen of April and we also called to remind him. At the point of us calling he was out of the country I had asked the secretary for them to remind him that we are just awaiting for that response. Nothing so far. So this is the reason we believe that he is not taking us seriously. We are out here to show that we have had enough. Enough is Enough and it is time for us to take back our Hilltop.”
Reporter
“You are hopeful that this action will move the council to do right by the union?”
Doreth Obermayor
“Of course and if not this is just the beginning of one such. If we do not get any response in the next month or so another is going to come. Simplex Designs had agreed to get the green space with is the football field for the Evergreen Primary School as a swap for them to get back Hilltop and from there he would have sold it back to the Public Service Union.”
Reporter
“How do you answer the criticism that you have fifty people out there and the public officers are fifteen thousand?”
Doreth Obermayor
“As it relates to that this is just the beginning. Like what we said, this is just the executive from our branches. We have not reached out to our mass members as yet.”
Mayor Belisle told News Five that (Quote) “The Belmopan City Council declines comment on the matter at this time.” (Unquote)
