National Trade Union Congress of Belize to Discuss Labor Rights with Minister Requena

The National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) is meeting with the Minister of Labour, Oscar Requena this month to discuss issues affecting the nation’s labour force. Last week, the umbrella organization wrote Requena to request an audience to discuss Committee Chairs, the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Bill, and the Labour Laws. The minister has since responded and scheduled a meeting with the labour union for October 23. This morning, NTUCB President Luis Luke Martinez spoke about the issues that will be raised in that meeting and explained the need to improve the protection of labour rights. 

Luke Martinez, President, National Trade Union Congress of Belize: “So what we did is we had written to him and requested for us to have an audience to discuss some of those concerns that we have including the appointment of chairs for some very important labor arms for example the ESAT, the Tripartite body and also the Labor Advisory Board. So for us it’s always important that you have capable people and chairs who are willing to go the extra mile to ensure that they follow due process, that they follow the rule of law and that these boards function the way they’re supposed to function. So we need to have that conversation with him and to ensure that there is proper vetting of the individuals who they are putting to chair these very important boards. So sent him a letter to have that conversation as well as very importantly the fact that the Occupational and Health Safety is still outstanding for over a decade. I’ve reported to this medium as well as other mediums and social media platforms that the National Trade Union Congress and the Chamber of Commerce of Belize we have worked extensively on the bill, we’ve submitted the bill to the ministry.” 

Martinez says while the Minister of Labour has agreed to meet, the union has yet to get another audience with the Prime Minister. Martinez added that the PM stated the OSH Bill would be tabled in the House of Representatives in September, but it never happened. 

Luis Luke Martinez, President, NTUCB: “September has come and gone and the ministry doesn’t have a concrete answer for us. As a matter of fact, the Labour Commissioner had mentioned to me that the bill which we had submitted to them is not the same bill that they have. So you see where the games are being played already. They also mentioned to us that they are going to have a whole new consultation process and just lamping and lamping with the bill, so to speak, right? And we maintain that the Government of Belize should rush the OSH. So we need to sit down with him and have that conversation. Because while we continue to be one of the only country in the Caribbean region without legislation that protects workers in the workplace, the employer, as well as the customer in the form of the OSH, other countries in the region are pushing to see how they could have OSH as a fundamental right and we don’t even have OSH in our legislation. So it is something that needs and requires urgent attention.”