Unions ponder next move; Labour Dept. investigates Perriott firing

On Friday we reported that the National Trade Union Congress of Belize had given Government an ultimatum that if it did not take action resulting in the reinstatement of Christine Perriott and three other fired B.T.L. employees some, unspecified act of retribution would take place. Well, at news time Perriott and her three colleagues remain unemployed and it is not clear what will happen next. The general council of the N.T.U.C.B was scheduled to meet this evening at five-thirty to assess the situation. Despite the union’s opinion to the contrary, it does not appear that Government has the legal power to compel the re-hiring of any privately employed person. What government has done, according to a release from the Ministry of Labour, is that Labour Minister Francis Fonseca has directed Acting Labour Commissioner Adelfino Vasquez “to carry out a thorough investigation.” That investigation is to be concluded by March sixteenth and is expected to contain specific recommendations for action. Never one to prejudge, the ministry release goes on to call the termination of Perriott, General Secretary of the Belize Communications Union, “an act of utmost bad faith” and warns B.T.L. that it will not be allowed to violate the dignity of any of its workers. On the matter of the original labour dispute involving the firing of the three employees from the stores section, as expected, the Ministry has referred the matter, as provided under the law, to an Essential Services Arbitration Tribunal which will make a binding decision on the matter. That panel will be convened once Union and management have nominated their members. The tribunal’s decision will be made within twenty-one days of its first meeting.