84% of BCWU Members Turn Against BTL-Speednet Deal
The Belize Communications Workers Union (BCWU) says the vast majority of its membership has now turned against BTL’s proposed acquisition of Speednet (SMART).
According to the BCU, eighty-four per cent of its members no longer support the acquisition as currently proposed, a position reached following an emergency membership meeting held last Thursday.
The union says its opposition follows months of engagement with BTL that failed to resolve key concerns raised as far back as January.
Talks between the BCWU and BTL began after media reports first surfaced on January 9th regarding a potential acquisition involving Speednet and cable companies. The union requested an emergency meeting, held three days later, where it made clear its members were not just BTL employees but also shareholders, taxpayers, Social Security contributors, and citizens with a direct stake in the outcome.
At that meeting, the BCWU pushed for clarity on a list of critical issues: job security for existing BTL staff, the real costs and financial implications of the deal, whether procurement and approval steps had already been completed, governance and disclosure questions, whether Speednet employees would be able to join the union post-acquisition, and a phased process that included meaningful consultation with the National Trade Union Congress of Belize.
The union says more engagement with employees is still needed, beyond the Employee Bulletin BTL circulated outlining the deal’s stated national benefits.
The BCWU says it has consistently pushed for transparency, timely communication, consultation, and good-faith engagement with BTL management throughout the process and that this week’s overwhelming shift in membership sentiment reflects those unresolved concerns.
The BCWU says it will align itself with the NTUCB to determine its next steps on the matter.