Former long-serving employees of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) have intensified their demands for severance payments, citing deteriorating health conditions and years of dedicated service. The Belize Communications Workers for Justice (BCWJ) organized its fourth consecutive protest outside BTL’s corporate headquarters this week, highlighting what participants describe as urgent unmet financial obligations.
Medical necessity has become a central theme in the growing dispute. Leticia Reyes, a 26-year veteran who transitioned from telephone operations to customer service, revealed her multiple health emergencies including gastric bypass surgery, two cardiac procedures, and two strokes that have impaired her speech and memory. ‘Many of us here face serious health challenges,’ Reyes stated. ‘We need the company to acknowledge our circumstances and release the severance we’ve earned.’
Patricia Bradley, another former employee with 17.5 years of service across multiple departments, emphasized the personal sacrifices made by staff. ‘We invested years of sweat, toil, and tears building this company, often prioritizing work over family,’ Bradley recounted. While acknowledging BTL’s historical role as a valuable employer that provided growth opportunities, she maintained that severance payments represent a legal entitlement rather than a discretionary benefit.
The telecommunications company issued an official response indicating that 98% of worker claims under the Caribbean Court of Justice ruling have been settled. However, BTL clarified that the CCJ mandate only covered claims within a six-year limitation period, excluding the BCWJ-represented workers whose claims extend beyond this temporal framework.
Bradley, who now operates a caregiving business, noted that the severance funds would enable her to expand into food services, demonstrating how these payments represent both deserved compensation and future economic opportunity for former employees.