Former BTL Workers Protest, Demand Severance Pay

Earlier today, members of the Belize Communications Workers for Justice staged a protest in front of BTL’s headquarters on St. Thomas Street in Belize City, calling on the telecommunications provider to settle what they describe as long-overdue compensation.  The demonstration was led by Emily Turner, who told The Guardian that the group’s demand is straightforward, pay former workers the severance packages they are owed. Turner indicated that while some past employees have reportedly been notified that payments are forthcoming, many others remain in limbo.  She also raised concerns about how those payments may be handled, arguing that severance should not be subjected to taxation, as it represents earned benefits rather than new income.  Turner says that the group will continue applying pressure until all affected workers receive their full entitlements.

Emily Turner, Former BTL Employee: “We’re sending a message out to BTL that they must pay now. We’re not prepared to wait. We don’t want to talk. I think our team has already taken the decision that we will continue this action until they tell us the date and the time they will give us that cheque. And we want them to give the check to every single person. We don’t want them to be telling us anything about statutes of limitation. We should all respect the judgment of the CCJ because we are a country of laws. And I think that’s our message and we’re encouraging the public to also blow their horn when they pass on St. Thomas Street. Six days, we have six days. Six days were approved for us and so we start today and the different members as they make themselves available, they will be joining us. So we’re a healthy little crowd here today that have started this and we continue until next week Friday.”

Reporter: Will you be able to maintain this now? Because it’s a very modest crowd that you have here.

Emily Turner, Former BTL Employee: “I believe we will. At Midday, we all are still working people, so a lot of people are on their job and the reason we put it at 10 is so that we, the ones that can make it out earlier start and then our other brothers and sisters join us at midday and we’re also asking the public to take that drive on St. Thomas Street and blow their horn when they pass us. And the message to BTL is simple, we have worked the process as past union leaders. We believe that you work the process. We have sent several letters as we said in our first conference. We have sent several letters. We have been, we have practiced all the diplomacy that we should practice as union leaders that we believe in and the time to talk is finished. Now we want to know the date that that cheque will be handed over to every single employee, everybody. Not a few and we have already also said that we have a group of people that they have agreed to pay and I want to make it clear that those people have said, you know what, we will stand in solidarity for those that have not been paid, so we will not get the cheque as yet. Also, you’re going to see some of our placards are talking about no income tax on the severance because even the people that get paid, they now are face with the additional burden of having to pay a 25% income tax on what you get from the severance settlement. And the severance is a settlement that the court has granted us, it should not be taxed.”

The Belize Communications Workers for Justice maintains that resolving the matter promptly would bring long-awaited closure for dozens of former employees who have been waiting years for their payouts.