KHMH Sickout Follows Union’s Rejection of Pension Proposal

While the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority Workers Union has not acknowledged today’s incident as a sick-out, the union had sent signals that it was coming. Those hints were thrown out at yesterday’s press conference, where the membership rejected the government’s proposal of ex gratia payments instead of a pension scheme for qualified workers. The union has repeatedly argued that they are justified in taking industrial action, despite the limitation placed on essential services under the Laws of Belize.  Union President Andrew Baird warned that the union would be taking action today and that the government would be responsible for the repercussions that follow. 

Andrew Baird, KHMH Union President: “And I can tell you starting tomorrow they will get  the sense.  They will get  the sense. You want to take us lightly, CEO and government, then it will be on your hands. It will be on your hands. And again, you can come and threaten us with the law. We are prepared. We are ready. We have not sent no 21 days notice. And I dare any one of them to come and show me where in the Essential Services Act it says that we cannot take industrial action before the 21 days. When you send 21 days notice of intended strike action, you cannot take no action during that period giving the government time  or the Minister of Labour time to look at the dispute large. But at this time,  how comes when we take other industrial action in the past, nobody come and say, you are wrong, you are doing this wrong or so?  Because they understand clearly that we are united and we are in solidarity.  Tomorrow, we continue our phased plan of industrial action.  The message is clear that we  shall not be moved.”

Baird also called on other members of the union who would not participate in today’s activity to stay the course, as he is aware that some are being intimidated.

Andrew Baird, KHMH Union President: “To all  our other members and  colleagues that are listening or will see the news this evening, continue to stand in solidarity with your union and your membership. Do not allow them to intimidate you. Do not, because the managers some of the directors are going around and trying to stop the staff from wearing their shirt. This is a union initiative we have wrote to the management of this institution to say to them that we are having industrial action. Anything,  any form of intimidation can only be classified as union busting and we will not hesitate to take the matter to the court if so be the case.” 

As it relates to union matters, our newsroom understands that the unions will be coming together for a demonstration this weekend.  We will keep you posted.