Belizean Workers Gain Global Support as UN Backs Right to Strike

Belizean workers just got a major boost on the international stage. This week, the International Court of Justice ruled that the right to strike is protected under a key International Labour Organization convention. In a landmark decision, the Court made it clear that workers have the right to organize and take industrial action. For Belize, that ruling hits close to home. The Constitution already guarantees freedom of assembly and association, but this decision adds another layer of protection. Public Service Union President Dean Flowers says it’s a big win, one that strengthens workers’ ability to stand up for their rights when disputes arise.

 

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union

“While in Belize our right to strike has never been impeded, I can tell you that some of our comrades across other regions have been jailed, have been killed and have been prohibited from engaging in strike action when it is that they reach an impasse with their employer. So the fact that the ICJ would have rendered such an opinion that ILO Convention 87 does include that right to strike, I think it solidifies our right here in Belize for us to continue withdrawing our labor when it is that government believes that they can ignore us. It gives us the assurance that we can withdraw our labor when government believe that they can impose policy decisions on us and our, and the people that we represent without meaningful consultation. And of course, when there is anything that occurs within the working environment and  on the national level that we believe are a detriment to ourselves and the Belizean people, we can withdraw our labor. We do not withdraw our labor at whim. We withdraw our labor whenever there is a breach of our constitutional rights to be engaged, to be consulted and to be informed. And for us here in Belize, we are also celebrating that. The only thing that I would hope that will come out of this is that a serious that serious consideration will be given to perhaps explicitly including that right in the revised Trade Unions Registration and Recognition Act. That is a fundamental right because ILO Convention 87 is a fundamental constitution.”

 

Legal experts say the ruling doesn’t spell out exactly how or when strikes should happen. It’s not a free pass to walk off the job, just a clear confirmation that the right to strike is protected under freedom of association.

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