Christian Workers Union and Port of Belize agree to disagree

Leopold Smart

Stevedores employed at the Port of Belize Ltd. say they are contemplating industrial action over what they are claiming to be a deliberate act of union busting on the part of its management.  According to members of the Christian Workers Union, the company, owned by businessman Luke Espat, is attempting to box them out of business which nets millions of dollars annually.  The C.W.U. further alleges that Port of Belize Ltd. is purposely neglecting the current terms of a memorandum of understanding as well as a collective bargaining agreement signed by both parties.  This morning a special meeting was held at the Belize City Center, which was attended by the executive, but not the members.

Leopold Smart, Executive Member, Christian Workers Union

“We di hold this meeting because then we find that we di face union busting and dictatorship from the Port of Belize weh we work wid because we have wah M.O.U. weh binds the agreement together.  [It] binds us that we could negotiate together but right now with everything that they do dehn noh do it with the union.  Dehn change everything by dehn self, dehn change the pay scale.  Dehn do whatever they want so I think that this is union busting.  So I called on the president to have a meeting that we could get things straightened out. We have passed through about eight companies already abiding with this law of the union but this one now comes with dictatorship.  They want to tell the union what it’s to do and this two different entity.  The union has the labor and they have the work.  The union has the labor force and that has worked over fifty years.  So right now we di talk bout if dehn noh straighten things at least by a month’s time we di look fi go pan strike.”

Raymond Rivers Jr., Executive Member, Christian Workers Union

Raymond Rivers Jr.

“Why touch poor people thing!  Learn fi get enough!  Learn fi get enough! Mr. Luke, Mr. Guerrero, Ms. Francine, all the bigger heads backa Luke and I am even talking to the members of the C.W.U. that went with the Port because of scaredness talking that we would have lost our job over the last five years.  I’m also talking to Mr. Barrow please help us sir.”

The Christian Workers Union has indicated that if an amicable solution is not met before the end of April it will take industrial action. We could not reach Espat for his comments on the claims made by the C.W.U.