BELIZE CITY, Mon. Mar. 5, 2018– Delegates from the 10 unions which make up the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) traveled to Dangriga for the umbrella group’s 51st Annual General Meeting over the weekend.
Guest speaker for the occasion was the Dangrigan elder statesman, Dr. Theodore Aranda.
In his address, Dr. Aranda told the union delegates that they should not limit themselves to efforts to better conditions of employment for their members.
Dr. Aranda pointed out that national development is an enterprise which requires government (local and national), business, labor, NGOs, the churches, every sector of our Belizean community, to fulfill their responsibilities.
Dr. Aranda cited the lack of development of the Commerce Bight Port as a prime example of the inadequate infrastructural foundation which limits Belize from tapping into its full potential.
Delegates at the AGM adopted a number of resolutions to ensure full compliance with the NTUCB constitution and to set the umbrella organization on the path to realizing its full potential as a key stakeholder in the nation’s social dialogue, including all sectors, particularly business and the government.
The AGM was hosted by the Dangriga-based Southern Workers Union (SWU) under the theme “NTUCB – nurturing strong leadership for worker empowerment and national building.”
As part of its community outreach, NTUCB contributed funds for an SWU Project which provides primary school children with seedlings for their backyard gardens in an effort to develop agricultural skills in Belize’s young people at an early age to ensure food security.
The NTUCB delegates decided that the 52nd AGM will be held in Corozal on December 8 and 9, 2018, an NTUCB press release informed.