Why Can’t the Long-delayed OSH Bill Cross the Line?  

After more than a decade in the making, Belize’s long-awaited Occupational Safety and Health Bill is still stuck on the sidelines and workers are growing impatient. The legislation promises stronger protections nationwide, but it has yet to clear the Senate. Union senators are calling out problems, pointing to what they say are serious gaps and contradictions in the bill. As a result, labor leaders are pumping the brakes. Public Service Union President Dean Flowers says the delay is necessary, backing a joint decision by social partners to hold off until those concerns are fixed. For them, the priority isn’t speed, it’s getting the law right.

 

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union

“Based on their appearance on your morning show, I think they did an excellent job in explaining to the Belizean people why is it that they felt it necessary to withhold that bill and to ensure that certain amendments is included or certain questions are responded. I think they, they also did an excellent job in pointing out that they, there exists serious, very serious deficiencies in the Ministry of Labor And I only pray and hope that one day we will start, stop politicizing these ministries and departments so that we get the right people in, the competent people in, that will be able to influence very good policies and answer the difficult questions. It is comical when you read that letter that was sent out by the Clerk of Assembly with reference to the Labor Department. It’s an indictment on their capacity in my humble opinion. It is the equivalent of me entering a room and having a draft bill presented to me by an attorney this week, and when the question was put to her best response was, “I never write the bill, so I can’t answer your question.” So what the hell are you here presenting the bill if you don’t know how to respond to the questions regards to the bill? So I think it’s the same thing that occurred where the Senate and the Labor is concerned, and I want to give my unequivocal support to those social partners, Senator. And I hope that we get the bill right.”

 

Flowers expects that more details will be revealed following a meeting with that the National Trade Union Congress of Belize this Saturday.

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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