BELIZE CITY – In a significant display of labor rights advocacy, former employees of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) have initiated a six-day protest campaign outside the company’s central headquarters. This action comes directly in response to the company’s failure to implement a groundbreaking Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) decision that legally affirmed workers’ entitlement to severance compensation regardless of pension status.
The demonstration, organized by the Belize Communications Workers for Justice (BCWJ), represents the culmination of months of frustrated negotiations since the November judicial ruling. Approximately thirty retirees gathered on Tuesday, vocalizing their demands through chants of “Severance now, no tax” while highlighting the company’s apparent prioritization of corporate expansion over employee obligations.
Emily Turner, former president of the Belize Communication Workers Union, stated that diplomatic avenues have been exhausted. “We have sent several letters… now the time for talking is finished,” Turner declared. “We demand a concrete timeline for disbursement to every eligible former employee.”
The legal precedent was established through a case brought by ten former BTL employees, which has since empowered dozens of additional retirees to claim severance under the Belize Labour Act. Former union leader Michael Augustus contextualized the financial dispute, noting that individual claims ranging from $15,000 to $40,000 represent a minor expenditure compared to BTL’s proposed $80 million acquisition of telecommunications competitor Speednet.
Protest organizers have obtained official authorization to demonstrate daily from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. over the six-day period, with participants vowing to maintain their presence until the company fulfills its court-mandated financial responsibilities to its former workforce.