Belize’s Prime Minister John Briceño has thrown his political weight behind former Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) employees in their escalating dispute over unpaid severance packages. In a significant development, the Prime Minister declared that the telecommunications giant must devise a viable solution to settle outstanding claims for more than 100 former workers.
During an interview with News Five, Briceño expressed his conviction that the former employees possess a compelling legal case for receiving their entitled compensation. He specifically noted the absence of any statutory limitations that would legally obstruct these payments from being made. “I do believe there is a strong case for these employees to get what is owed,” the Prime Minister stated unequivocally.
The matter is currently under active consideration by BTL’s board of directors, who convened a meeting specifically to address this contentious issue. Regardless of the board’s deliberations, Briceño emphasized the non-negotiable necessity of resolving the situation, asserting that “at the end of the day, some way has to be found to pay those people.”
This political intervention comes amid sustained protests organized by the Belize Communications Workers for Justice, who have maintained a three-day demonstration outside BTL’s corporate headquarters. The protestors have raised pointed questions about the company’s financial priorities, particularly its proposed acquisition of Speednet—reportedly valued at approximately eighty million dollars—while simultaneously claiming an inability to fulfill severance obligations to former employees.