Terminated Employees Contemplate Lawsuit Against San Pedro Town Council

When the San Pedro Town Council changed in March following the municipal elections, several employees from the previous administration were terminated.  Under the labor laws of Belize, those individuals ought to have been compensated as part of a severance package.  That has not been the case, however, despite written correspondence between their attorney and Mayor Wally Nunez. Although it has been three months since a new local government took over at town hall, their attorney says there has been no word when—or if– those persons will be paid.  News Five spoke with attorney Orson Elrington, who represents fifteen of those former workers.

Orson Elrington

Orson Elrington, Attorney-at-Law

“There was a change in administrations across this country in municipal governments.  One of those municipal governments that had a change in administration was the San Pedro Town Council.  Regrettably, with that change there was a bevy of dismissals and firings.  Now obviously, my clients and maybe the public can guess what is the reason for those terminations, but that is not nearly why we’re here today.  We’re here today because as you know and as most Belizeans know, whenever you terminate the service of an employee, they are due what we call a severance package.  That severance package is based on how much you were being paid and your years of service, and obviously maybe the circumstances surrounding the termination of your employment.  The San Pedro Town Council, when it terminated the services of at least fifteen employees whom we represent, there are others but we do not represent those others.  We represent fifteen employees who were terminated by the San Pedro Town Council.  Regrettably, when those persons were terminated, they were not given their proper severance package and that is why we are here today.”