NTUCB Open to Dialogue with Belize Peace Movement on Redistricting Efforts

The National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) is calling on the Belize Peace Movement to join forces. The BPM, the force leading the charge for a redistricting exercise, has called on the unions to pressure the government into triggering the exercise. However, they say their efforts to rally the labor unions have been rather ineffective. This month, the BPM called out the union in a media interview and underscored the need for the parties to work in tandem to force the government’s hand. NTUCB President Luis Martinez responded to the BPM’s criticism this week and explained that the union is open to dialogue. 

Luke Martinez, President, NTUCB: “The National Trade Union Congress has an open door policy and we don’t close our doors to any stakeholder and the Belize Peace Movement knows that fully well. And their approach in reaching out for solidarity through the media is not the best approach so I’m imploring upon the Belize Peace Movement to come to the National Trade Union Congress. Our doors are open so that we could work on this together. As a matter of fact when they had started their campaign I had reached out to their leader and said look the National Trade Union Congress is willing to participate. We issued a press release in solidarity with the Belize Peace Movement and we continue to hold onto that solidarity. So look this is a great opportunity to remind the Belize Peace Movement to join the National Trade Union Congress. We have a lot of good governance issues to work on together as partners not only the redistricting. We have campaign financing that we need to address, we have the good governance legislations that we need to address, whistleblowers, procurement and so on so look we have joint work to do with all of our stakeholders and so I’m imploring upon every single stakeholder to join the National Trade Union Congress in what we’er doing.”

The BPM hopes the redistricting exercise can be done before the next general elections.