Port of Belize says Christian Workers Union members vandalized property

By BBN Staff: The Port of Belize Limited (PBL) is accusing members of the Christian Workers Union of vandalizing property during the union’s protest on Wednesday.

“For hours the CWU members caused these unfortunate incidents on the Port that included serious and dangerous vandalism to property, including vehicle fires, tampering with the electrical supply, smashing windows, and destroying IT infrastructure,” the PBL said. “PBL, and the greater Belizean economy, were sabotaged by violent CWU members who put innocent lives at risk by setting fire to vehicles, setting fire to equipment, destroying infrastructure and throwing projectiles at the Police.”

The company said that it is still carrying out an assessment to determine the level and quantum of damage done to its property, but notes that the incident also had a negative impact on the greater Belizean economy because the incident halted operations causing financial loss to the company and those trying to get goods in our out of the country.

The company noted that the incident marks the fourth time for this year that the CWU has participated in “illegal” strike action and that the incident was a direct result of CWU’s refusal to meet after numerous unanswered invitations by the Port of Belize.

The PBL stressed that the CWU’s refusal to meet, “forced the redundancies of 36 members of its staff following an unprecedented 94% reduction in cruise vessel related revenue and a 26% reduction in cargo related revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The PBL also noted that the CWU by its own admission intended to enact a go-slow and protest action to cause further financial harm and making the situation worse, as such the management says that it continues to be in direct contact with the relevant authorities on the matter and will continue to monitor the business environment for further required actions.

Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Belize ~ We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages. Your content is delivered instantly to thousands of users in Belize and abroad! Contact us at mаrkеtіng@brеаkіngbеlіzеnеwѕ.соm or call us at 501-612-0315.

© 2020, BreakingBelizeNews.com. Content is copyrighted and requires written permission for reprinting in online or print media. Theft of content without permission/payment is punishable by law.