Groups express solidarity with striking workers

They say no news is good news – but don’t tell that to striking workers of the Citrus Company of Belize in Pomona. Industrial action against the company by over a hundred of its employees continued for a fourth day today as executives of the company and the Christian Workers Union are yet to come up with a solution to the dispute. As the strike action continues, messages of solidarity have been coming in from several organizations. The Belize Energy Workers Union says it supports the Christian Workers Union in condemning what it calls deplorable housing conditions for the workers and unfair labor practices by the C.C.B. In a release today, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry expressed concern at what the organization says were random acts of violence perpetrated against innocent women and children at the Citrus Company of Belize Limited. Although the Chamber’s release mentioned fire bombing incidents and the firing of shots at workers who remained on the job, a check with police in Dangriga would confirm only one incident in which a processing shed was reportedly set on fire Thursday morning. Officials of the C.C.B. were unavailable for comment.