BTL Severance Fight Escalates with Senator’s Support

Former BTL workers took their fight for severance back to the streets this week, marching through heavy rain to demand the payouts they say are long overdue. Their stories of sacrifice and hardship have reignited national attention, and now, that pressure is reaching the halls of Parliament. Tonight, Union Senator Glenfield Dennison, himself the son of a former BTL linesman, adds his voice to the call for justice, urging the company’s board to stop delaying and pay the workers what they’re owed.

 

Glenfield Dennison, Union Senator

“I have the same name as my dad, Glenfield Denison. He worked here as B at BL as a lion man, I think a assistant lion man too. So a very low paying, very labor intensive job. But that’s how we went to school. He sent me my little sister, my little brother to school, built his home where we grew up and. It’s on the grind, just going to work every day, getting up early hours long in late evenings. But it really instilled in me that work ethic that I know how you understand that hard work is not the hard work is not poor to be frowned upon because I have the love of my father to show me the example of hard work, but he didn’t always insist. That you going to school, but I’m so proud to be here and be recognized by his coworkers as a product of one of their coworkers. For me that’s so heartfelt.”

 

Shane Williams

“And now, how does it feel now that you are on the side where you are fighting for them, advocating for them, people like her father?”

 

Glenfield Dennison

“Shane, that’s I think that’s the pride of a son to be able to fight a cause, not just for him but for his coworkers.”

 

 Shane Williams

“What’s your message to the board members who will be listening?”

 

Glenfield Dennison

“Stop finding obstacles to pay these people. The CCJ ruling was very clear that you made a mistake. You made a mistake back in the day by not paying people their severance. And that’s okay, we’re humans. I think the policy to not pay the workers is guiding the interpretation of the law. I think you have to look at it the other way to see what are the constitutional rights of people, what were the statutory rights of people at the time. Acknowledge that the CCJ has ruled that there is a social justice element to it and simply find the money and pay these people.”