Union pickets B.E.L.

There was high tension today at B.E.L. when workers marched in front of the Barrack Road Office in an attempt to get management’s attention and some public sympathy. The reason for the noontime picket? Employees say what’s good for management is good for the rank and file and they want payment for their years of service too before the company goes completely private. Management says there’s no way the company can afford it. Janelle Chanona reports.

Ashley Rocke, B.E.L. Employee

“If people in higher places are thinking that this is a joke, this is not a joke. This is serious business. We want a serious decision made on our part and either they decide to pay we off and rehire we or we come up with some solution where we could get our monies and we could get our retirement, pension plan formulated.”

Today some members of the Belize Energy Workers Union gave up their lunch hour to march in front of the corporate headquarters and publicly voice their dissatisfaction at the company’s continued refusal to acknowledge their claim that money is owed to them.

Diana Forman, Public Relations Officer, B.E.L.

“Management has received that notice but has reiterated their position saying that there is no basis for the demands that are being made at this time. Legally the company has no obligation to meet those demands.”

Floyd Herrera, General Secretary, B.E.W.U.

“It’s established that seven of the top executives of the company were paid for the years of service and rehired under contract. We’re saying that those payments were made when government was the major shareholder and since they are giving that up, we are asking that they settle us also.”

Diana Forman

“The union has agreed that there is no grounds for the requests being made: that the employees be terminated and be presented with payment for their years of service and immediately rehired and also that they continue to renegotiate on the same terms of the collective agreement which includes all the benefits that they would get.”

The money involved in this claim is six million dollars, money Forman says the company cannot afford to pay at this time. Employees say they will do what is necessary to get what they want.

Q: “You personally, how far are you prepared to go to pursue this?”

Ashley Rocke

“Stop work for the day or as long as it takes for them to honor our commitment.”

Employee #1

“I go to the extreme; I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

Employee #2

“They are planning to sell out right and you know people won’t buy if they see things are going right.”

Employee #3

“We want the government to understand that we need what we want.”

Employee #4

“Pay us and rehire us, that is the message.”

Floyd Herrera

“We’re united and we find that to be very successful.”

Janelle Chanona

“The Belize Energy Workers Union is hoping this act of protest will get the attention of all those involved but says it is prepared to take further steps if their demands are not met. Reporting for News Five I am Janelle Chanona.”

Belize Electricity Limited says it has contingency plans to ensure that electricity will not be interrupted if the workers take industrial action on October seventeenth as threatened. The matter is still before a tribunal with the Minister of Labour, Jose Coye. B.E.L. employs three hundred fifty-seven workers, two hundred twenty-two of which are unionized.