City Council Scrambles to Fix Payroll Problem at H.R.C.U.

No worker likes to be left high and dry at the bank or credit union on payday, and so the complaints of sanitation workers since Friday have been reaching ears in the press. The Belize City Council, which effectively assumed responsibility from the private company Belize Maintenance Limited following unrest five years ago, says it is not to blame as it put in the workers’ monies on time, but due to unknown hiccups in the banking system it didn’t get to them as quickly as usual. As of this morning, pay going through Holy Redeemer Credit Union was still held up. But speaking for City Hall, councilor and mayoral aspirant Dion Leslie assured the Council was on top of it.

Dion Leslie

Dion Leslie, City Councilor

“The Council did meet our pay last week; I know the majority of the City Council employees have gotten their pay, their pay has been deposited into their account, so I don’t what is the issue with H.R.C.U., whether it be something on our end or something on their end, but whatever it is, I can assure you that we will address it immediately, and guarantee that at least by the end of the day, our sanitation workers will have their pay in their accounts. I think it is the first time that it is taking so long. I know a new banking system has been implemented and we were having – not only City Council but other businesses as you said – were having issues with the time lapse from the depositing of the payroll to it being put in the employees’ accounts, so as I said, I don’t know if it is something on our end or something on H.R.C.U.’s end.  Whatever happened this time around is something that can easily be resolved; we just need to communicate with HR.C.U. and see what happened, what’s the issue. Sometimes it may be as simple as a number inputted wrong into the system and that’s what has the process held up. But whatever it is, whether the issue may be small or big, we will resolve it immediately.”

Aaron Humes

“And there’s no financial concern or anything like that; I think somebody was trying to put it that way?”

Dion Leslie

“No, no. We have met payroll and that’s what other media houses were trying to imply, that we are not able to met payroll, we are in financial dire [straits]. But we’ve met payroll every week, we’ve been meeting our recurring expenditures. Yes, we are in our slow season; but we go through every year. Every year. It’s hard, it’s not the easiest thing but we do manage to come out. And when our high season kicks in, ending of October into November and December, we settle off with everything and we are back in the black.”