Since five weeks ago, the trade unions and the Government of Belize have been at war over what the unions deemed were offensive, surprise amendments tabled by the Barrow administration to the Disputes (Essential Services) (Amendment) Act.
The unions said the proposed amendments, intended to strip their power to effect sickouts and go-slows without first giving a four-week notice, were a direct attack on them and an erosion of freedoms hard fought for.
However, late word to Amandala this evening is that the parties—Government on the one hand and the unions on the other—have called a truce, and Prime Minister Dean Barrow has asked the unions to table their own proposals on how best to resolve essential services disputes and avoid a recurrence of the recent conflicts with the unions.
President of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB), Dylan Reneau, told Amandala this evening that he considers the development a major breakthrough, but the NTUCB will not pull back on its declaration that it will leverage its connection with the International Labor Organization (ILO) in challenging Government on the issue.
According to Reneau, Prime Minister Barrow agreed today to put on hold the contentious amendments to the Disputes (Essential Services) (Amendment) Act, while the trade unions formulate their proposals.
Reneau was among a team of union presidents—excluding Dr. John Sosa, president of the Belize Medical and Dental Union—who met with Prime Minister Dean Barrow at his Belmopan office this evening. (Reneau said that Sosa was sent a notice of today’s Belmopan meeting.)
For context, PM Barrow had told our newspaper that the labor law amendment was triggered by sickouts and go-slows taken by doctors at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHM), over alleged financial impropriety at the hospital, and he said the changes to the law were necessary to make allowance for modern forms of industrial action, not considered at the initial drafting.
The trade unions, however, expressed outrage over the proposed amendments, and in a press conference held in early August, Jacqueline Willoughby-Sanchez, two-time president of the Public Service Union (PSU), called it a backdoor amendment – one that she said threatens the guaranteed rights and freedoms of workers.
NTUCB’s first vice president, Paul Perriott, had said the proposed amendment also stretches out the notice period before industrial action can be taken from 21 days to 28 days – a move he says was intended for managements and Government to buy time and to “pull our legs.”
The controversial amendments also propose significantly stiffer fines for violations, increasing from $250 per infraction to $250 for every day of infraction.
When we asked Prime Minister Barrow about the outcome of today’s meeting, he was restrained in his comments, but noted that the unions had indicated that they would be issuing a press statement.
The meetings were cordial, and at no time was there a deterioration in the climate in which the discussions were held, the Prime Minister told our newspaper.
Another major point coming out of today’s meeting was a commitment from Barrow to resolve the three-year-old dispute between the Belize Telemedia Limited (formerly Belize Telecommunications Limited) and the Belize Communications Workers Union over the termination of three former employees and union liaison officers. (Reneau indicated that one of the three, Nelson Young, may be getting his job back at BTL, now that the government has taken control of the phone company.)
Also, contrary to Government’s assertions that the window of opportunity had closed for the unions to be engaged in the oversight committee for the Venezuelan housing grants, the Prime Minister this evening said he would take the matter back to Cabinet, but noted that he could not say whether the Cabinet would change its mind, said Reneau.
While the unions and the government had publicly been on the war path, Reneau described this evening’s meeting with PM Barrow as “quite amicable.”
The PM was far away from that “bring it on statement” he had made on national television, said Reneau.
Prime Minister Barrow said this evening that the discussions went well and were “very, very useful.”
When Amandala broke the story back in July, about the proposed amendment to the labor law, Reneau had asked, rhetorically, whether PM Barrow wanted his own version of 2005, referring to the spate of protests and demonstrations the unions sustained against the Musa administration.
Almost two weeks after our story, the NTUCB called a press conference, decrying Government’s move to amend the law, without any consultation with them.
The NTUCB has brought pressure on the government to retract the amendment during the 90-day waiting period for the bill, which expires towards the end of October.
According to Reneau, apart from the breakthrough on the #1 topic – the proposed amendments to the labor law – they also discussed another pressing matter with Mr. Barrow – and that is land for the NTUCB’s office.
The NTUCB has been using a very small office on the ground floor of the Belize City Center for years now, and according to Reneau, the Sports Council had recently given them notice that the Council wants the space.
Prime Minister Barrow agreed to assist the National Trade Union Congress of Belize in getting land for its headquarters and they have been given an extension, in the meantime, to stay at the Belize City Center, Reneau informed.