B.T.L. workers serve notice of industrial action

The Belize Communications Workers Union has given the Minister of Labour the mandatory twenty-one days notice of industrial action against Belize Telecommunications Limited and has instituted a work-to-rule, effective Monday. At issue is the firing of three workers in the stores department, with the union claiming that the B.C.W.U. was not properly consulted as required by their collective bargaining agreement. Under the union’s work rule guidelines, employees will not work outside their normal hours and perform only those duties specifically required of them under their terms of employment. For its part, B.T.L. management maintains that their actions were within the law. The company insists that it has consulted with the Union and is willing to continue dialogue, but that B.C.W.U. officials refuse to talk to the company’s human resources manager and insist on dealing only with B.T.L.’s Chief Executive, Dean Boyce.