In a significant development for labor rights in Belize, Prime Minister John Briceño has publicly endorsed the severance claims of former Belize Telemedia employees, asserting they present a compelling legal case. The Prime Minister’s intervention comes amid ongoing negotiations between the telecommunications company and the Belize Communications Workers for Justice union.
Briceño emphasized that statutory limitations should not apply to severance payments, particularly when workers were previously informed they were ineligible for compensation. “I don’t believe there exists a statute bar for your severance pay, especially when you were explicitly told you couldn’t receive it,” Briceño stated during recent remarks.
The Prime Minister revealed that Telemedia’s board was convening to address the matter, indicating high-level corporate engagement with the dispute. Briceño maintained that regardless of legal complexities, the company bears responsibility to compensate its former workforce. “Some way has to be found to pay those people,” he insisted, acknowledging his comments might generate controversy given his non-legal background.
This endorsement represents a substantial boost for the labor union’s prolonged campaign for financial restitution, potentially establishing important precedents for worker compensation claims throughout Belize’s private sector.