Day: October 28, 2024

The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority Workers Union held a press conference today to voice its objections to a recent amendment to the K.H.M.H.A. Act. While a 2021 amendment had granted the union a representative on the hospital’s board, Union President Andrew Baird explained that the new amendment aims to remove the union representative. Instead, the Act now allocates that board seat to a member appointed by the N.T.U.C.B. According to Baird, the N.T.U.C.B. appointee cannot be a member of the hospital staff.

Andrew Baird, President, K.H.M.H.A.W.U

“On the eighteenth of October and amendment to the Karl Heusner Act was done secretly, without any information being passed on to the union for the removal of the KHMHWU representative from the KHMHA board to now be replaced with and NTUCB representative, but that NTUCB representative cannot be a member of the KHMH hospital or staff of the hospital nor a member of the union. IN totality what they are saying to us is that the voices of the workers of the KHMH does not matter to the board anymore. The principle on which we were allowed to the board by this said government who amended the act in 2021, for accountability and transparency and for the workers of the institution to have a say in the institution is now being eroded by the said government. We can only classify that having the union rep of the board has been working in the best interest of the union and staff but not the politicians. This also can only be classified as a direct hit of union busting. Our union has made it clear that it is unacceptable, we will leave no stone unturned to let the government understand that KHMHWU will not give up. We will do what is necessary to ensure our representative remains on the board.

N.T.U.C.B. Senator Glenfield Denison was also present at today’s press conference. He clarified that the N.T.U.C.B. did not request the responsibility being placed upon it by the amendment. Senator Denison says the proposed legislative change is tantamount to bad governance.

Glenfield Denison, Senator, N.T.U.C.B

“The amendment that was brought in the House in my respectful view can only have one effect and it is to remove your representation from the board. I say that because of two things. We can follow the government as it relates to saying, there is a change of policy now and we want broader workers represented. We can follow them down that road and so we will shift it to the umbrella organization. I will say it categorically, we never ask for that. However, the wording of the amendment is so targeted that it leads me to believe we are no longer legislating for a policy. We must be in the realm of legislating for personalities. So, I ask you to question yourself as to who this sort of amendment will benefit the most. It cannot be you, because you will be removed from knowing what is happening at the highest decision-making body of your employer, the KHMH Authority. So, it really smacks of bad governance.”

The Government of Belize issued a release last week Thursday stating that by having the N.T.U.C.B. on the board, it will ensure that the diverse interests and perspectives of all employees are effectively represented. The release further noted that the inclusion of the N.T.U.C.B. on the Board of Governors is essential for ensuring comprehensive representation, enhancing collective bargaining power, and advocating for the rights and well-being of all employees. Well, Baird says this is the first step the union is taking to raise their objections. When asked what happened inside the boardroom meeting for such a drastic move, he asserted that he has stood up in meetings because the hospital’s C.E.O. has been misleading in her presentation to the board.

Andrew Baird, President, K.H.M.H.A.W.U

“The first thing is to make our position known; hence we are here today to make the government know clearly that the KHMHWU is opposing the amendment of the act, and we are asking for it to remain as it is. There are many ways we can have the government to listen. We start with dialogue, that is why I have texted and asked the prime minister to come to the table so we can discuss the issue at hand. I am the present representative of the board. We wrote to the minister on October eight asking for Dr. Alain Gonzalez to be the new representative of the board and that was by mandate of our membership. Over the past three years there have been several occasions where the CEO has been misleading on presentation to the board. I stood to correct the board that what she is presenting is not so. That is the only reason. There is no other reason.”

A Belize City resident is celebrating tonight after scoring a major win with a Scratch and Win ticket. The lucky winner visited our office to share her plans for the $10,000 prize and revealed just how close she came to missing out on her big day. The winner spoke to us off camera today.

Scratch & Win Winner

“I usually buy, but that day it was raining. So my husband asked me if I want to buy Scratch because he know I like to buy Scratch. So I tell ah ih di rain, man. He said, but if you want to buy, I’m going to buy it for you. Alright. So I tell ah, okay then, go buy it for me. Buy four. So he say, okay then, and he went and buy it.”

Britney Gordon

“Did you have a feeling that it was going to be your lucky day?”

Scratch & Win Winner

“Yes, because around four. I buy the four. I win forty dollars. So I say, I get this one ya, and I  wa get a bigger one.”

Britney Gordon

“What was the moment like that you scratched it and saw it?”

Scratch & Win Winner

“Wow! First I scratched it. And when I scratched it, I see lucky.  I she cho, man, any time I win lucky I get only four dollars. So I scratch it again, I see one. So I halla and tell bwai it look like I win hundred dollars. And when I scratch it, I see wa comma. I say, well, da mussi  thousand. I no say nothing, and when I scratch it I say, ten thousand dollars, well, I make what, ten thousand dance.”

Britney Gordon

“So that’s an amazing amount of money, what do you think you’re going to do with something like that?”

Scratch & Win Winner

“Well, this money is a blessing to me and my family.  So I’m going to put something aside, and the rest, we’re going to enjoy it. I bless them too, because it’s a family deal.”

Britney Gordon

“Think you’re going to keep buying scratch?”

Scratch & Win Winner

“Yes, every night or every two nights. And when I no win, I stop and I buy again.  The weekend. By the weekend I buy again. But when I win two dollars, it doesn’t matter to me because I seh one of these days, I’m going to catch the big one.”