UDP Opposition urges government to resolve port bottleneck with Christian Workers Union.

The Opposition, the UDP, is calling on the government to meet with the Christian Workers Union (CWU) and the Port of Belize Limited (PBL) the resolve the current bottleneck at the port. Yesterday, the CWU stated that their plight has to do with the PBL’s non-compliance with the Essential Services Arbitration Tribunal’s ruling. The union says their actions of reverting to the one gang –one ship system, outlined in their current Collective Bargaining Agreement, are geared at bringing PBL to the negotiating table. Leader of the Opposition, Moses “Shyne” Barrow, says his party is in full support of the stevedores and hopes the water front workers get an audience with GOB.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition: “ The party position is that we fully support the stevedores as a matter of historic principle. You know the laborers make up the driving engine of our society and we believe in every instance we need to be as favorable and as considerate of them as possible. In this instance what I hear the stevedores, the president of the CWU asking for is merely for there to be enforcement of the tribunal decision I don’t think that’s unreasonable. I think that is necessary and the opposition urges the government, the Minister of Labor to act swiftly, the Prime Minister to act swiftly to ensure that this is being done. I understand that there was some engagement on Friday on a ministerial level today is Wednesday that has not borne any fruits from what I understand and it is the Opposition’s position that that that should be escalated forthwith. The stevedores are not asking for any favor in this particular instance they are merely asking that the process be respected. There was a procedure, they underwent the procedure, the tribunal made a decision and that needs to be enforced immediately. They deserve whatever decision the tribunal made, they deserve for that to happen immediately.”