NTUCB Monitoring Sexual Misconduct Investigations Involving Union Leaders

The National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) is closely monitoring two ongoing investigations where union leaders have been accused of sexual misconduct. In the first instance, a nurse at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital alleges that a union leader raped her in April of 2019. Despite a police report being made in February, no charges have been filed.  According to Police, the file has been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for determination. In the second instance, the President of the University of Belize Faculty and Staff Union (UBFSU) is facing allegations of sexual misconduct for reportedly having inappropriate conversations with students. President of the NTUCB, Ella Waight, says while the Police are investigating both matters, the umbrella organization stands ready to render assistance to the respective unions and victims. 

Ella Waight, President, NTUCB: “As an organization, as with any organization, NTUCB, because we have to represent workers,  we take these issues very seriously. Any gender-based violence against any workers, against anyone, we take seriously and we have zero tolerance for.  However, because we have to ensure that there is natural justice, we have to ensure that the  process is fairly treated and from there, those unions, again, those specific unions will deal with the matter on their level. NTUCB is there to assist  guidance on how the union should operate, on what happens next,  if that member or that person would have to withdraw from the union, help them with any election process they may have to go through, or to ensure that they recover from this. That is where NTUCB would take, that’s the place that we have for guidance and for support for those workers, for those members, and for the union on a whole. But yes, zero tolerance, will not entertain anything like that at NTUCB, anything that has to do with gender-based violence against any person. What we understand coming out of UB is that the president is on suspension still. So the vice president, the first vice president of the UB union has reached out to us and she will be acting as president.  NTUCB’s role now is to guide her through this process to assist her to bring her up to date of what’s happening at the Congress and to ensure that the transition happening right now is very smooth for her and that she can manage what is coming. So we’re there for support. We’re there for guidance. The one at KHMH, again, each union has its own autonomy and they are dealing with that issue on their own. Again, NTUCB is available for any guidance and any support but again, because like I mentioned before we are the umbrella organization.  We are the body that encompasses all unions and each union, even the KHMH have their own autonomy to deal with their own internal issues on their own.  And when they feel it is time to make any decisions they would reach out to us to inform us because they are a part of the NTUCB, but they are handling it on their own at their level.”

Our newsroom also spoke to Minister of the Public Service and Governance, Henry Charles Usher, about the allegations, which he says have not resulted in any reports reaching his ministry. 

Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service and Governance and NEMO: “I saw some matters in the media but I don’t know any of the facts of the case so no I haven’t been keeping I don’t know anything about what the allegations are.” 

Reporter: Will the ministry be looking into it? 

Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service and Governance and NEMO: “Well that I believe would be at the Ministry of Health level.”

Our newsroom will continue to follow both situations closely.