Workers’ Severance Fight Now Also About Protest Rights

And while former BTL workers keep up the pressure for long‑awaited severance pay, they now say their right to protest is also being challenged. The Belize Communications Workers for Justice claims police have scaled back approval for their demonstrations and rejected further requests, raising fresh concerns about the freedom to protest.

 

Emily Turner, Organizer, Belize Communication Workers for Justice

“You guys remember we had said that we had gotten six days approved. On Monday after we finished protesting, the police department told us that we must come to the Raccoon Street police station. When we arrived there, they shared with us a cancel order, I guess you would call it, where they canceled our, they canceled, they denied us this freedom that we have to protest, right? They denied it for Tuesday and Wednesday, and that’s why you didn’t see us out here. And so what they did inform us is that they gave us Thursday, and they said if we wanted Friday we can apply. Well we applied again on Tuesday, giving them enough, giving them forty-eight hours that is required by the law. Yesterday they informed us that is also denied. They’re denying that from us as well. So we have today, yesterday, we appeal it to the Commissioner of Police because we are saying you cannot take away this right from us. You have to tell us why. The president of the NTUCB was extremely upset because of the actions of the UDP.”

 

Reporter

Do you also distance yourself from their actions yesterday?”

 

Emily Turner

“Yes. Yes, definitely.  I will say this, the unions are a peaceful group. We’ve always been a peaceful group and we will maintain that. The UDP, that’s their behavior.”

 

BCWJ organizers say their protest over unpaid severance is now also about protecting the right to demonstrate, as they’ve appealed to the Commissioner of Police after approvals were reduced and further requests denied.