Unions cancel tomorrow’s BTL–Smart demonstration 

The planned union demonstration over BTL’s proposed acquisition of Speednet Communications, the parent company of Smart, has been called off. The National Trade Union Congress of Belize says union presidents met over the weekend and agreed that the protest scheduled for Tuesday will no longer proceed.  The decision follows Cabinet’s rejection of the proposed acquisition and a response issued by BTL on Friday. NTUCB President Ella Waight says the Congress believes there are now other pressing national matters that can be addressed more effectively through a press conference.  The unions had maintained that Cabinet’s rejection of the transaction was not enough and had called for BTL’s Board of Directors to formally rescind its earlier approval. Belize National Teachers’ Union President Nadia Caliz had said the demonstration would remain on the table, but we were told that planned protest has since been cancelled.  Following meetings among the union presidents over the weekend, however, the NTUCB agreed to replace the demonstration with a press conference tomorrow. Waight says the event will allow the unions to address the BTL matter as well as other important national issues.