Police Association gets support from the N.T.U.C.B.

The Police Association and the senior command of the Police Department remain at odds and pressure is mounting. But tonight, the association picked up major support from unions across the country. The Ministry of National Security on Monday night, in a televised statement, condemned the actions of the association’s leadership in publicizing its objection to the sudden transfer of a number of officers and threatened to take disciplinary action. Corporal Eldon Arzu, Sergeant Edlin Lorenzo and Hendrick Williams, who have made media rounds, are now seeking legal advice on their impending fate.  The statement highlighted sections of the Police Association Rules and the Constitution of Belize, pointing out that members of a disciplined force, in this case the police department, cannot participate in trade unionism.  Violation of that statute reiterated the statement, shall result in the disqualification of members from the department.  Tonight however, the big news is that the efforts of the Police Association, in spite of the ministry’s recent threat, are being supported by the National Trade Union Congress of Belize.  The N.T.U.C.B. is criticizing the actions of Commissioner of Police David Henderson, as well as the Ministry of National Security as demoralizing.  The N.T.U.C.B. says that the brass of the police department and its ministry are attempting to suppress the affected officers from securing their rights.

Dylan Reneau

Dylan Reneau, President, N.T.U.C.B.

“The N.T.U.C.B. has been monitoring this situation with the Police Association and after hearing what has been said via the media the N.T.U.C.B. wants to align itself with the Police Association.  So we stand in solidarity with them and in it’s in solidarity of their mission to secure their rights.  We believe that the association should be given the teeth and the wherewithal to address their issues and what we’ve seen happen with the Ministry of Police is concerning to us simply because it can be viewed as union busting if they were a union.  They are only an association indeed and I heard the arguments about why they are considered an association but they must have that right to bargain and also the right to protect their rights. I think that certainly the association should have the right to secure their rights, to come out and speak because it appears as though they had an initial meeting with the minister who had given them some assurance that he would have dealt with the matter but he was too busy to deal with the matter; therefore they took it upon themselves to go back to the media to keep the issue alive.  You know it’s easy, once you meet with the minister the minister tells you alright we’ll deal with the issue and if you don’t follow up or are adamant, continue to agitate the issues are never resolved.  So I want to commend the Police Association for taking that stance to continue the agitation.”