CWU Calls Out Mayor Cawich and Belmopan Council

And while one long drawn-out labor dispute seems to be coming to an end for the Christian Workers Union, another is entering another chapter. President Leonora Smith says the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Belmopan City Council is twenty-one years old and while there was one ready to be signed by mayor Sharon Palacio, her successor Pablo Cawich has flat out refused to do so. In fact, at their last meeting in August of this year, Cawich told the CWU that at this time he has nothing to offer. 

 

Leonora Flowers, President, Christian Workers Union

“The Belmopan City Council, directly under Pablo Cawich, Mayor Pablo Cawich, a friend of ours, a unionist. He will tell us that every time we sit down, and his city administrator will say they are unionists, but that leaves a lot to be desired. At the conclusion of Mayor Palacio’s term, we had concluded all the discussion on the CBA, and we had concluded a employee handbook as well under the then HR manager, Ms. Julene. When Mr. Cawich, when Mayor Cawich and his city admin took over, they told us in our first meeting, “No, we won’t sign anything. We’ll go over the document.” Not a problem. We sat with them, and we dialogued with them, and that has been three years ago, three full years ago. And to date, our members are still working and cleaning the streets of Belmopan and picking up our garbage, and they have not been attended to. They’re still out of uniforms. We get promises after promises after promises. Enough is enough. And so today we are speaking on their behalf. Come to the table, Mayor. The last meeting we had with the mayor was in August this year. I think it was 5th of August to be exact, and he said we cannot afford anything. We cannot afford to give a salary adjustment, but yet they continue to pack the city council’s pay sheet with additional people to work.”

 

The Christian Workers Union is also concerned about the Belmopan City Council’s handling of a recent sexual assault allegation allegedly involving the Mayor’s Aide.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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