Stevedores Injured by Police May Receive Compensation

As you heard, the Government of Belize has agreed to commence negotiations regarding possible payment to all stevedores injured as a result of actions taken by the Belize Police Department during a peaceful protest on July second 2020. According to Hyde, eleven men were injured. And, while the M.O.U. does not categorically say that the state is accepting responsibility for the actions of the Police, it is prepared to hear the stevedores on this matter.

Evan "Mose" Hyde

Evan “Mose” Hyde, President, C.W.U.

“What happens is that some of these are already in the legal process. We are looking about ten or eleven individuals. It is not like we are looking at a manufacturing of injuries. These are things which have already been processed with the medical legal forms. We have it on the record and for us that was one of the grotesque moments, in a saga that has had some very grotesque moment. That says a lot. We have not forgotten it. WE have a member who have basically, if it was not for brotherly love, would not be earning an income.  I have to be honest, because he is physically limited. But, he is supported so that he can help and do the work but that is a direct result of the injuries that happened that day. We cannot understand how employees ended up being on the receiving end of that. And, the fact that the state actually acknowledged that this was not sanctioned means that we cannot leave that unresolved. We have preached that to our members that it cannot be left unreal with. SO, when this opportunity created itself, it was extremely important to us, not only for what the individual member is going to get, but I think for setting precedence in the state that this is not something you can do. You must respect the rights of the employee to stand up. I absolutely put on the record that is a consequential aspect of this.”