Fifteen weeks after her termination, Christine Perriott returned to work at the Regent Street premises of Belize Telecommunications Limited (now Belize Telemedia Limited), where fellow workers greeted her warmly, some of them congratulating her on her victory in court. But her first day at BTL was a bittersweet experience.
“I got lots of calls and text messages to welcome me back. The ones I least expect said I give them courage,” Perriott reflected, in speaking with Amandala this evening.
The reception from the management of BTL was on the colder end of the meter, however. BTL’s top management had done all in its power to prevent Perriott from returning to work after they terminated her at the end of February, despite an interim reinstatement order the Supreme Court issued on April 5. BTL put her on what they called paid special leave, and banned her from the premises. However, on Wednesday, Justice John Muria ruled that by not allowing Perriott to go back to the job she had held before the termination, BTL was in contempt of the court’s order. Perriott knew that going back, she would meet a not so warm reception from BTL’s management. Even though Christine has worked there for 17 years, management detailed her of basic company rules, which she said she already knows.
“They tried their tactics, but I expected some. They told me to make sure I get to work the correct time. They told me about my clothes. We have a policy that you’re supposed to wear uniform at all times. But I was on maternity [last year] and [when I returned to work] I did not get my uniform,” said Perriott, explaining why she turned up to work in a BTL shirt.
But since BTL is changing its image, and its uniform soon, Perriott said that she pointed out to management that she would still have to wait to get her uniform, and would be happy to wear it.
And then she was chastised about her footwear – a pair of tennis shoes. According to Perriott, BTL wants her to get a specific kind of footwear, which she said costs $200. She said that if they want her to wear a specific kind of shoes, they should buy it, and more than that—they had already promised to get her a pair of shoes.
“I expected they would load me up [with work], and they did just that. I expected they will send me all over the place, and they will do just that…to Placencia, P.G.,” Perriott continued.
“The Human Resources Manager told me to desist from making derogatory remarks about management and staff. I asked what she meant and she said, ‘Draw your own conclusions to that,’” she added.
In arguing the company’s case before the court, BTL’s attorney, Andrew Marshalleck, had referred to affidavits filed by the chairman of BTL’s executive committee, Dean Boyce, indicating that Perriott had made too many negative remarks against the company and its management, and that the working relationship between her and the company had deteriorated.
For her part, however, Perriott had contended that those claims were false, and that there was no bad blood.
The court had ordered on Wednesday that BTL should allow Perriott to return to her job at 8:00 this morning – which she did.
She said that she was placed at a different desk from her usual desk and made to work during her lunch hour, straight through until 5:00 this evening.
While she contends that that is a breach of labor laws, she said that she wouldn’t make a big deal over it, as she has already reported the matter to her head of department, and he has said that he would deal with the issue.
Perriott said that the company had asked her to comply with their rules, but she also expects that they will comply with labor rules.
“I can handle my work. If they want to do anything to entrap me, I have to deal with it the legal way,” Perriott concluded.
Christine Perriott is the general secretary of the Belize Communication Workers Union, which represents BTL workers, and ahead of her she still has a long drawn-out battle with her employer before the court. While the court only awarded her an interim reinstatement in April, she is fighting for her full reinstatement in the Supreme Court, but even if she wins the next round, the company warns that the battle won’t be over any time soon.
On Wednesday, after the court made its ruling, BTL posted a press release on its website—which was faxed to us today, Thursday—saying that, “Based on the legal advice received by the company, Telemedia considers that Ms. Perriott’s employment with Belize Telecommunications Limited was lawfully terminated on February 27, 2007 and that this position will shortly be endorsed by the Supreme Court and if not, in due course by the Courts of Appeal.”
The company goes on to say that, “…this case is of great public importance and [BTL] is therefore prepared to pursue matters to the highest levels should it be necessary.”
The highest court to which Belize submits is London’s Privy Council.
BTL has already asked Justice Muria for permission to appeal the interim reinstatement order of April 5.
Of note is that even though Perriott had filed her claim against Belize Telecommunications Limited, the company has accepted that the successor, Belize Telemedia Limited, is bound to execute the court’s judgment.
In celebrating her victory on Wednesday, Perriott first of all thanked the Lord – the true Lord and not “lord” Ashcroft who controls BTL– for her victory. She also thanked family and friends, and especially former BTL employee, Sharmayne Saunders, for supporting her.
Saunders, who has consistently been at Perriott’s side during the court proceedings, is also suing BTL in the Supreme Court, and while she is not seeking reinstatement, she is challenging BTL on financial matters.