Working holiday weekend just part of the job
Earlier in this newscast we heard about the rates of pay the law specifies for work performed over the long Easter weekend. This afternoon I spoke to the workers themselves to see how they felt about being on duty while everyone else is on holiday.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
As the holiday weekend fast approaches, Belizeans are buying Easter goodies and making their final arrangements for the annual vacation. However not everyone will be swimming at the cayes or relaxing at some resort or the other but will be busy working around the clock.
Rodwell Viamill, Fire fighter
“I no feel no kind of way right now because we have a job here and we have got to do it so I no feel no way. Once I will be getting paid that’s all about it you know get paid for what I am doing.”
Valliz Cattouse, Firefighter
“Well Easter is just like any other day. For us working here with the government it’s just like a day to day routine. It just comes in like any other day.”
However it will be the first time that firefighter Eldorah Chacon will spend the holiday working. Chacon who spent last Easter vacationing in Nicaragua says she has no regrets about the weekend.
Eldorah Chacon, Firefighter
“Well I don’t really feel anyway about it cause I love the job and it does not really bother me.”
Equally busy is the staff at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital especially the nurses in Surgical Ward.
Dylcia Link, Nurse, Surgical Ward, KHMH
“I personally like working but when it comes to holidays, myself and all the other nurses would like to be with my families because you know family makes arrangements to take trips. Be with the family you know go somewhere for the Easter and actually working. We know its a job that we have to be here and somebody has to do it and we would like if we could get at least one or two of the days because its actually four of the days that you get. The Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday but we can’t as nurse, essential services we have to work.”
Janet Young, Nurse, Surgical Ward, KHMH
“Over the Easter you would want to be with your family and friends. It’s a time when you go to the cayes and you know do different things but a nurse we know we have an obligation to our job, to our patients and I just think positively. When I come on duty I know I have to do eight hours and I have to do it to the best of my ability.”
While the hospital staff will be busy at KHMH, there are other people who will be just as busy protecting properties and maintaining law and order.
Javier Cocom, Security Guard
“Well actually it will be my first time that I will be working through the holiday so I don’t feel nothing that will affect me. I just work right through it as its no holiday to me as I work right through it.”
Jacqueline Woods
“While you will be working will your family be going somewhere for the holiday?”
Javier Cocom
“Not really they will be hanging out with me here in Belize City.”
Yolanda Murray, Deputy O.C. Eastern Division
“Well Jackie, for one I believe it is a norm because they know they must work over the Easter holiday. We have new policemen, yes but they understand before that they must work on public and bank holidays. We know that they have families, yes and they would like to be with their families but duty calls and once duty calls then they have to be here to perform. We have the public that we have to do service to, we have such events like the cross country cycling race occurring and we give that big coverage and everybody must be on duty including myself, the officer in charge and all the other officers.”
Whether you will be working or not, the public is being advised to have a wonderful weekend but make sure it is a safe one.
The list of weekend workers also includes some of us in the media, such as radio announcers and technicians at television stations. I’d like to wish our own Channel Five master control operators, who will as usual be at their posts, a happy weekend of hopefully-not-too-hard work.
