Prime Minister gives statement on Port of Belize-Christian Workers Union dispute

By Aaron Humes: As titular Minister of Labour, Prime Minister Dean Barrow spoke to the House of Representatives this morning about the simmering dispute between the Christian Worker’s Union (CWU) and Port of Belize Limited, which this week made 36 of its workers redundant citing COVID-19 concerns.

In the absence of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the staff (since 2004) and stevedores (since 2012), the releases are subject to the Labour Act, particularly section 45, but PBL’s handling of the matter treated workers “with disrespect” per the Prime Minister.

He tied the matter to the still-pending investment in expanding the Port and adding a cruise Port, which the Cabinet “unanimously rejected,” according to the Prime Minister without having a solution for the stevedores.

The Prime Minister announced that a press briefing by the Ministry of National Security this afternoon would announce disciplinary measures against certain police officers related to the attack on peaceful, unarmed protestors.

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