Not all union members at peace with government actions

The Amendment to the Settlement of Disputes in Essential Services Act was the third item on the agenda and another bone of contention that the N.T.U.C.B. has with government. Both the Prime Minister and the congress have made it clear that the amendment was a result of the go-slow that the K.H.M.H. doctors implemented during their disagreement with the K.H.M.H. board. The Public Services Union President, Jackie Willoughby was not happy. And though she made her disappointments known, as a union the N.T.U.C.B. still hopes to dialogue with the government on all the issues it tabled at this evenings conference.

Jackie Willoughby, President P.S.U.
“In one day; in absolutely one day without consultation, we have Essential Services Act placed on the table and put in the Gazette and I have no other recourse but to go on the words of the prime minister. This bill was passed into law because we have—the doctors went on sick leave. Once again we find another reason to penalize the worker. Once again the government is treating the workers of this country as liability on the balance sheet as opposed to assets. We did not legislate laws to stop corruption. We did not come and say anybody involved in whatever happens at the Karl Heusner would face any kind of legal recourse. But we had to come to the table and quickly pass into law, a law that will stop workers from standing up for their rights. That is serious business. Strike action is normally your ultimate action. This is when everything is shut down and everybody is out. It’s your ultimate action. Having go slows, having sickouts, having work to rule and that kind of thing are the other recourses that we have as unions. Taking those away amounts to hamstringing and muzzling the unions. That is what you’re doing. That is what it is tantamount to. It’s not trying to have the best interest of Belize at heart because I am certain the citizens in this nation would like to see workers are satisfied so they can be happy and provide you with the duties that we are there to provide and we have done that. You have the freedom to associate. The constitution in and of itself, the supreme law of this land, says you have the right to choose. So here comes the government in this law telling us you do not have that right. The employer is abusing you? Sit down and take it. Sit down and take it; that is what it is saying. What the constitution says; so long as what you do in your freedom is not injurious to anybody else, meaning you’re not endangering life, you’re not hurting anybody, then you have the right to choose and to associate. Through the back door—because this is a through the back door approach—government is finally determining that we do not have that right to choose as workers because we keep saying unions but unions are made up of workers, that’s you and I. through the back door—this is a back door constitutional amendment. That’s what it amounts to.”

Javier Roberts, General Secretary, N.T.U.C.B.
“We are the umbrella organization of all unions in Belize and the business of unions is negotiation and that is our main objective; negotiating and that is what we do best. And that is the reason why although, as you said, the prime minister and the government is adamant, we are still requesting an audience to discuss—to give the process a chance.”