B.S.C.F.A. Weighs in On PM and C.W.U. Agreement

Reporters also asked the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association for their thoughts on the verbal agreement entered between the Prime Minister and stevedores who are members of the Christian Workers Union. Last night, we told you that the Prime Minister made a verbal commitment to compensate the stevedores a total of one point six million dollars in sugar redundancy payment. He noted that lawyers from both sides would meet and that an agreement may be signed by the end of today. Well, we are yet to receive an update on that signing as of news time. And, the B.S.C.F.A. says that while they hope for the best in this matter, they can no longer believe anything the prime minister has to say.

 

Javier Keme, Chairman, B.S.C.F.A. Finance Committee

“When you lose the trust of a person, what happens. They are just being taken as a liar. When we saw what transpired with our colleagues from the unions, the outcome of it we were just thinking that on that regard the experience that BSCFA has gone through, we don’t trust words. We don’t trust verbal agreements. That is why we have, if what we have in black and white is making trouble for it to be realized, imagine what will happen between a lawyer and a lawyer, because that is what I understand from the news where it is. So I hope for the best for our colleagues, but it was just a verbal commitment, that is what I heard from the news. We at least got this written and it is still difficult for it to be fulfilled.”