National Trade Union Congress Aims to Empower Young Workers

When one thinks of union meetings or mobilizations, the image that often comes to mind is that of seasoned, mid-career professionals. But that trend is one the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTCUB) is working to change. In a recent interview with Love News, NTCUB President Ella Waight explained that the organization is making a deliberate shift to engage and empower younger workers.  According to Waight, the NTCUB is now placing greater emphasis on outreach to youth.

Ella Waight, President, NTUCB: “We’re trying our very hardest to have a youth arm in our congress because most of our members are, to be honest with you, over the age of 30, 35, and we are not going to be here forever. So we have to pass on this baton to the young people. So we’ll be having our youth directors, Sister Ashley Langford out there registering youth, registering young people to join the youth arm. You do not have to be a member of a union to join youth arm because we need your idea is. We’re hoping that young people do show up because we cannot move this movement without the young people. We have to leave it in your hands and we are ready to pass on this baton, but you have to join us. We ask that they join us. So that’s one of the concentration we’ll be doing for our 59th anniversary.”

The National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) was first federated in 1966