Why did Kolbe fire Mr. and Mrs. Casimiro?

Carla & Colive Casimiro

The termination of a husband and wife from the Belize Central Prison over a week ago has raised concerns within the executive of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize. Colive and Carla Casimiro were fired by the management of the Kolbe Foundation individually, over what prison officials are citing as a lack of confidence in their ability to carry out their duties effectively. Kolbe says Carla, the former principal officer in charge of security at the Wagner’s Youth Facility, was let go, following a two-week suspension after failing to fulfill a directive given by her superiors.  Although Casimiro’s release is said to be the result of bad faith, her spouse, who was also terminated a few days later, was dismissed on similar grounds.  Colive Casimiro, past chief of security, according to C.E.O. Earl Jones, parted ways with the foundation amicably.  He told News Five today that they are justified in taking action against the couple.

Earl Jones, C.E.O., Kolbe Foundation

“Carla Casimiro was an employee of the Kolbe Foundation and the Kolbe management and board had lost confidence in Mrs. Casimiro’s performance and her loyalty to the foundation.  And in the interest of the prison we decided to terminate her service, so her service was being terminated by the Kolbe Foundation in accordance with the amendment to the Labor Act.”

Isani Cayetano

Earl Jones

“What has been published elsewhere in the media is that Mrs. Casimiro was first placed on suspension, following an incident where, if I may interpret it in one particular way, she failed to obey or follow an instruction or a directive that was given to her.  Can you elaborate on what this particular issue may have arisen from?”

Earl Jones

“We have to separate that issue or that suspension from the termination because in actual fact that suspension arose out of an internal issue, right, whereby certain instruction was given.  It was not complied with so that was an internal issue.  Subsequent to that we had the issue of the confidence within the Kolbe and a decision was made by the management to terminate her service.  Again that termination was done in accordance with the amendment to the Labor Act.  She was given her full benefits.  She was brought in, we discussed with her, explained to her the issue, not the issue but more or less what was decided by the management and thereafter we parted ways. Where Kolbe employees are concerned, Kolbe is a legal entity and Kolbe has been given the contractual responsibility to hire its own staff.  So what Kolbe has done was to hire back, hire Mrs. Casimiro after she has resigned from government or she left government and in so doing she was hired in accordance with the Labor Act which Kolbe, as the legal entity operates under.”