CWU Challenges GOB Over Arbitration Tribunal for Stevedores’ Dispute

The Christian Workers Union (CWU) is calling out the Government of Belize (GoB) over what it describes as a flawed and biased arbitration process regarding ongoing labour disputes at the Port of Belize Limited (PBL).

Since mid-2024, CWU and PBL’s management have been negotiating a new Collective Bargaining Agreement for stevedores. After issuing a 21-day notice of industrial action on January 31, 2025, the Labour Minister empanelled an Essential Services Arbitration Tribunal (ESAT) on February 3 to resolve the dispute. However, CWU is strongly objecting to the tribunal’s composition. It is arguing that with three of its five members being government representatives, it cannot be considered impartial.

CWU asserts that the government, as the new owner of PBL since its acquisition in December 2023, should not be both the employer and the primary decision-maker in the arbitration process. The union contends that this setup undermines natural justice, as it allows the government to act as “judge, jury, and executioner” in the matter.

Calling for immediate corrective action, CWU has urged Prime Minister John Briceño, the Minister of Labour, and the caretaker government to reconsider the tribunal’s structure. The union insists that the process must be fair and independent, warning that proceeding with the current panel would amount to a “farce and a tragedy” against Belizean workers.

CWU maintains that it will not allow its members to be subjected to what it views as an unjust process, vowing to ensure fairness in any resolution of the dispute.