PM Briceño Talks CWU, Port of Belize and its Injunction Application

On Tuesday, Senior Counsel Godfrey Smith, via Marine Parade Law Chambers, applied for an urgent injunction to halt the payment of one point five million dollars to the Christian Workers Union. The compensation is the result of a recent memorandum of understanding between the Government of Belize and the C.W.U. on behalf of stevedores who may have suffered prejudice when the Port of Belize was privatized in 2002. Notwithstanding the application before the Supreme Court, News Five has confirmed with the President of the Christian Workers Union, Mose Hyde that the payment has been made to the union’s account.  Earlier today, Prime Minister John Briceño spoke briefly on the court order being filed, in the context of a claim being brought by the Port of Belize Limited against the C.W.U.  P.B.L. alleges that it lost over a million dollars in revenue when the stevedores went on strike in January and is now suing the union to recover its lost income. 

John Briceño, Prime Minister

“Well I’ve not taken a hard look at it, that just happened yesterday and our attorneys have not sat down to advise me, but my initial reaction is that it is unfortunate that PBL would take such a step to be able to prevent the stevedores to get a fund that we believe was merited.  It’s something that’s a part of trying to correct history and so that they can have access to these monies.  The stevedores are not rich people, they need the money but at the same time we also have to be appealing to the stevedores to be able to sit down and work out an agreement with PBL in providing increasing deficiencies in the Port of Belize because when we are not efficient then all of us, it costs all of us.”

Isani Cayetano

“If the port is saying that during that intervening time they’ve lost over a million dollars then wouldn’t it be fair for them to put in a claim to see how they can recover that?”

John Briceño

John Briceño

“I’m sure that they can find other ways how to recover it and not on the backs

of the stevedores.”