A coalition of over 130 former Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) employees has mobilized to confront the telecommunications giant over outstanding severance packages. Organizing under the banner Belize Communications Workers for Justice (BCWJ), the group has scheduled a press conference for January 26, 2026, at the BNTU Union Hall in Belize City.
The dispute centers on BTL’s alleged refusal to honor severance obligations while simultaneously advancing its acquisition of Speednet (SMART). Workers contend this corporate maneuver primarily benefits privileged stakeholders while creating financial burdens for both taxpayers and consumers. The former employees maintain that their rightful compensation remains deliberately ignored despite their foundational role in building the company’s operational infrastructure.
Dwight Gentle, BCWJ representative and former Belize Communications Workers Union president, characterized BTL’s position as legally untenable. “The company’s pretexts for withholding severance lack substantive validity and will collapse under judicial examination,” Gentle stated.
Fellow representative Michael Augustus amplified these allegations, accusing BTL of systematically prioritizing affluent interests over worker rights. “Corporate leadership prefers enriching the Ashcroft and Briceño families rather than fulfilling contractual obligations to former employees. This constitutes both ethical failure and corporate misconduct,” Augustus asserted.
The emerging labor movement signals growing tensions between corporate expansion strategies and worker welfare in Belize’s telecommunications sector, potentially establishing precedent for future labor disputes nationwide.