PM Briceño Says G.O.B. Resolved Impasse Between P.B.L. and C.W.U.

With a payment of one point five million dollars being made to the C.W.U., Prime Minister John Briceño says that government has done its part to address the issue between the Port of Belize and the stevedores.

John Briceño

Prime Minister John Briceño

“This one-time payment recognizes that circumstances at the Port of Belize have changed since privatization in 2002. In other words, that certain commitments the stevedores understood were made to them have evolved in a different manner than they understood them to be. The C.W.U. has committed to resolve various issues, critical issues such as the hours at work at the bargaining table. Government has also reiterated its willingness to address two other outstanding matters, a social security regulation amendment and claims arising from a protest which took place in July 2020, under the previous administration. Given that just over a month, at the height of the standoff, hundreds of containers were stranded, ships were being turned away from Belize and millions of dollars in imports and exports came to a standstill, millions of dollars in tax revenues were being lost and the business climate stood to suffer potentially irreparable damage.  Government judged that there was an urgent and unforeseen need to settle this matter promptly and did so upon the terms set forth in the M.O.U. These terms included the immediate resumption of work at the port by stevedores and payment by government to the stevedores of the sum of one point five million dollars in a timely manner which government duly effected. Government has now come to the National Assembly for approval by way of this Supplementary Appropriation Bill, in accordance with the relevant laws. C.W.U. has committed to account for every cent; the M.O.U. was immediately publicized so that there’s no question of complete transparency. There are those that have tried to make mischief about this arrangement, seeking to discolor an arrangement and reasonable pact between a hundred and seventy Belizean workers, their family and government. I say shame on them; they will have to answer for themselves. This government resolved the impasse and will continue to do everything possible to encourage the long-term, national interest solutions to all our outstanding matters related to the port employees.”