GENERAL SECRETARY OF BCWU UNHAPPY WITH TERMS OF REFERENCE

April 11, 2007

General Secretary of the Belize Communications Workers Union, Christine Perriott, says she is unhappy with the Terms of Reference that the Ministry of Labour has come up with for the Tribunal scheduled to take place over the firings of three B-T-L employees. Perriott told the media today that the Terms of Reference does not deal with what the trade dispute is about.  She says B-C-W-U made specific reference to a violation committed by B-T-L of the Collective Agreement that stands between B-C-W-U and B-T-L. She said the Terms of Reference formulated places emphasis on restructuring, whereas restructuring was only brought up by the Union as a background to the salient issues they want to be addressed. Perriott say she feels that if this is what the Tribunal will deal with, then it will be a waste of time because it would have nothing to do with the three employees who were terminated in January. Love News tried to reach Labour Minister Francis Fonseca this morning to get his perspective on the Terms of Reference but he was in a meeting.

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