C.W.U. and P.B.L. Agree: Ministry of Labor Should Mediate Negotiations

The Christian Workers Union and the Port of Belize Limited have been at odds in the past over a number of labor issues.  But tonight, they agree that the Ministry of Labor should stick to its commitment to mediate negotiations between the two parties.  President of the Christian Workers Union, Evan “Mose” Hyde says when the Ministry of Labor made a commitment back in July to mediate negotiations on certain labor issues, the union did not foresee the Labor Department walking back. But, as we have reported in the past, Hyde and the C.W.U. are saying that this is exactly what the Labor Department has done, in favor of a tribunal established to hold hearings on the matters and make a final ruling.

Evan “Mose” Hyde

Evan “Mose” Hyde, President, C.W.U.

“There is a chronology that we have to lay out. A tribunal comes in, the date is set. We are in the middle of confronting the issue of Ministry of Labor backing out, but we are legally advised that we have to go and represent at the tribunal while we are still trying to get the Ministry of Labor to keep his agreement. That first meeting was adjourned.   Coming out of that process where we expressed to the tribunal in that adjourned meeting that we have a serious complaint, and it is in that meeting that PBL expressed that they similarly back up that position and that they were going to co-join us with a letter to the Ministry of Labor, which we then wrote. After that first meeting we wrote the Ministry of Labor, and it is in response to that letter, on the twenty fourth, they said they are not interested. Now, that is when we up the ante in figuring out what will we do about this tribunal.”