G.O.B. and C.W.U. Sign Memorandum of Understanding
The Christians Workers Union will be getting a one and a half million dollar payout from the Government of Belize. G.O.B. has acknowledged that the privatization of the Port of Belize Limited affected the stevedores. But, there are conditions to the Memorandum of Understanding, and this money is separate from the Sugar Redundancy Package, which must also be fleshed out. The commitment from the C.W.U., they say, is to keep the peace. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
The Government of Belize has agreed to compensate stevedores at the Port of Belize Limited for injuries caused as a result of the privatization of the company back in January 2002, twenty years ago.
Evan “Mose” Hyde, President, C.W.U.
“The essence of the agreement is that the Government acknowledging that privatization has had an impact on our members, offered an ex gratia payment initially.”
An officially signed memorandum of understanding reveals that GOB agreed to make a payment of one point five million dollars. This is to be paid by February twenty eighth. Also included is a commitment by the Government of Belize to amend the Belize Social Security Act to ensure that Social Security benefits and contributions are paid and payable to stevedores. Thirdly, the government has agreed to commence negotiations regarding possible payment to stevedores for injuries suffered by the Police Department during a peaceful protest on July, 2020.
Paul Lopez
“Because one would want to justify the Union receiving one point five million dollars, what are those injuries suffered referred to?”
Evan “Mose” Hyde, President, C.W.U.
“So I think it is important to look at this and call it what it is, that while I cannot speak for government, I can speak to what we believe it is, that it is reconciliation. It is reconciliation that really doesn’t cover what our members have lost. Essentially it is ointment on an amputated leg, because when we do the math our members have lost out on future earning, when we put together direct earnings and retirement benefits, we are looking near thirty million dollars. That is what they have lost.”
It is one point five million dollars out of the public’s coffers that will be divided between one hundred and sixty stevedores, for an estimated ten thousand dollars each.
Evan “Mose” Hyde, President, C.W.U.
“For us the fact that it is referred to, or even acknowledged, that privatization is the original sin that is of significant value to us. And, when that, remember now, one point five million dollars is going to be shared almost between a hundred and sixty men and it is again not to make any kind of, not to down play what that represents, that is the people’s money. But, people are not to leave with this view that oh, stevedores are being enriched by this that is not what is happening here.”
Paul Lopez
“That is fifteen thousand dollars a person?”
Evan “Mose” Hyde, President, C.W.U.
“No that works out to about nine, ten thousand dollars per person when we do the math. So, what, in you world that makes you rich, but we are talking here about members who are accustomed to making thirty, thirty five dollars a year, whose earning have been reduced to about eighteen, nineteen thousand dollars a year, and that is every year going on forward.”
It is one victory for the Union and their Stevedore membership in the grander scheme of things. But, the C.W.U. has agreed to reopen the collective bargaining agreement signed only three months ago; in effect, to renegotiate a matter already agreed to.
Evan “Mose” Hyde, President, C.W.U.
“One of those conditions is that we are at work. Another one of those conditions is that we are to open up our C.B.A. and negotiate a matter that we agreed to in 2020 and that is the hours of work. It is highly unusual, and usually under normal circumstances it is not something that we would agree to do. But again, because we are trying to set a better climate, we have accepted that condition to negotiate with good faith, and to make every reasonable effort to find a solution that works, that remedies efficiency while at the same time not causing any distress or losses from our members.”
Hyde noted that the one point five million dollars ex gratia payment is not a substitute for the loss of sugar. Payment under the Redundancy Package must still be discussed, in accordance with the recent ruling by the Essential Services Tribunal. Hyde says the union is committed to maintaining stability at the Port throughout these negotiations.
Evan “Mose” Hyde, President, C.W.U.
“As we have said to the employer in our conversation with the employer, we might not like each other, we might not love each other, but our earning depends on each other, and we have to work it out. So, we are saying, between now and the next C.B.A. process, we have no intentions of industrial action. That is my position to all involved, and I am stating it publicly. So, let now those people who have judged us the way they have judged us, and tried to create a situation where we are responsible for high price, we are jeopardizing the prices at the grocery stores, let them now look at us and say, we are moving towards peace.”
Reporting For News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
