by Khaila Gentle

BELIZE CITY, Fri. Sept. 23, 2022

Christian Workers Union (CWU) president, Evan “Mose” Hyde, says that the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) employees who were recently terminated by the institution after their posts were declared redundant, are dissatisfied with the outcome of a series of meetings held between representatives from the CWU and the DFC.

The employment of a total of five workers was terminated by the DFC in early September after that financial institution carried out a redundancy exercise. While two of those employees tendered their resignations, the remaining three were reportedly escorted from the DFC office in Belmopan. The redundancy terminations triggered a walkout by unionized employees, and the CWU subsequently asserted that the manner in which the terminations were carried out was not compliant with the Labor Act.

Several meetings, at which reps of the Labor Department were present as observers, have been held between the two parties since then, with the DFC maintaining that it abided by all relevant legislation.

At the meetings both parties laid out their arguments—the CWU on why the terminated members could and should remain employed at the DFC, and the DFC on the reasons they selected the three CWU members for termination.

According to Hyde, one point the union made was that several other workers were deemed redundant, but they were moved laterally within the organization.

Despite CWU representatives doing their best to negotiate on the part of the three terminated workers, however, the DFC has so far not reconsidered its decision.

“… these were hardworking members of the DFC family. They felt very strongly about the points they were making. That’s the best they could have done, and again the DFC management presented a counter-reasoning, and they have that power to essentially say, listen, we have consulted, we have listened, we still believe in our position. So, obviously, if you’re fellow members, you are not happy with the outcome,” said Hyde.