Unions forego tomorrow’s protest

The National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) has withdrawn its application to stage a protest that had been planned for tomorrow, after determining it did not have sufficient backing from its membership to proceed. Love News confirmed the development with NTUCB President Ella Waight, who indicated that the umbrella union body decided to pause industrial action following internal consultations among affiliated unions. According to Waight, feedback from members showed that broader agreement had not yet been reached to justify public demonstration.  One of the consultations informing the decision came from the Belize National Teachers’ Union (BNTU), which conducted an online survey. Only 273 teachers participated, with approximately sixty-three percent indicating they were opposed to taking protest action at this time.  Instead of immediate demonstration, the NTUCB says it will focus on further engagement and dialogue. The organization is continuing outreach to stakeholders connected to the ongoing national discussion surrounding telecommunications matters, including efforts to meet with employees of SMART. The union body maintains it expected management to facilitate discussions with workers but has not yet secured that opportunity.  Waight also indicated that the protest has not been abandoned entirely and could be rescheduled depending on the outcome of additional consultations. Several unions are still briefing their memberships and hosting informational presentations to better inform workers on the issue before any collective decision is made.  Meanwhile, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has not yet agreed to meet with the unions, another factor contributing to the postponement as labor leaders continue seeking broader participation in the discussions.  For now, the NTUCB says its priority is dialogue and membership engagement before determining whether industrial action will move forward at a later date.