Chamber Offers to Assist with G.O.B. and Union Talks

Marissa Longsworth

The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry is urging G.O.B. and the unions to return to the negotiating table, and offering to be an independent voice.  Today, we asked President of the B.C.C.I. Marissa Longsworth if these parties can compromise.

Marissa Longsworth, President, B.C.C.I.

“We hope so and that is part of the reason why we have asked to be direct participants in the process. For the time being, what has been happening is that we equally have been receiving information by way of the media and by way of being forwarded different circulation and correspondences, so even we don’t know all the facts. So, without knowing all the facts it is hard to say where there is room for compromise. However, once we are given that opportunity to get all the facts and try to reason things out, I feel as though the Chamber would be able to find small areas that will compromise or at least small areas where the realities can be put to the feet of those who may be resistant to some of those realities. And many of those realities exist on both sides. The Chamber in this press release has taken no sides because we understand that there are issues on both sides and the problem is not coming to peaceful resolution to those issues because it carries on and carries on and it affects your activities and what you want to accomplish at the end of the day until there is that resolution. So, essentially that is where we come in, in saying can we be a part of this if there are things that are not being seen, maybe we can help them to be seen and if there are things not being discussed because the topics are a little difficult to discuss, maybe we can bring in some research and facts that can make the discussion a little bit easier. And so that is where we are offering at this point in time to be a part of this process and to be a part of its eventual resolution.”