Ruiz Maintains S.S.B. has Included Unions in Necessary Dialogues

Over the past few months, tensions have been high between the Social Security Board and the National Trade Union Congress of Belize. In a letter sent to the board, the union members claimed they have been consistently excluded from important dialogues, such as the decision to hire a deputy C.E.O. for the board. The S.S.B. then issued a release, maintaining that all proper protocol had been adhered to. We asked C.E.O. Deborah Ruiz for an update on the discussions between the parties. Here’s what she had to say.

 

Debora Ruiz, C.E.O., S.S.B.

“In terms of a discussion, I know that would be at the board level. So I’m not aware that a meeting per se has been had, apart from our board meeting, where the board has been meeting. The N.T.U.C.B. is a member of our board, so discussions have been had at our board level. But in terms of resolving concerns, I think that would merit further conversation with our board, no?  I can’t speak to that at this time.”

 

Britney Gordon

“One of the issues that they had brought up was a lack of transparency and communication between the S.S.B. and the N.T.U.C.B.”

 

Debora Ruiz

“The N.T.U.C.B. is a vital partner. They sit on our board. I’m not sure if the concern that you refer to refers to the N.T.U.C.B. proper or the persons who they nominate to sit on our board. The persons who are nominated to sit on the board, the way the process works is that if any matter comes up for a decision, we have prepared board agenda, we have decision matters, and we have other matters. If suggestions come up on the other matters, then as the nominee for the whatever whether it be the chamber or the N.T.U.C.B. or the government of Belize, they have a vote. And the vote is by majority. Those are the rules of the organization. Yes, that is as far as I could see. But normally, any substantial matter, we do try to give notice by presenting the papers early that they have a chance to review. The concern for me personally would be in terms of how that is done, because some matters are private to the directors of the company. It’s all depends on how they manage their fiduciary responsibility.”