The protracted struggle for severance pay by former Belize Telecommunications Limited (BTL) employees has intensified dramatically this week as demonstrators braved torrential rain during renewed street protests. Their persistent campaign for compensation, which they assert has been unjustly withheld for years, has successfully captured national attention and now resonates within parliamentary chambers.
Adding substantial political weight to their cause, Union Senator Glenfield Dennison has publicly aligned himself with the workers’ demands. In a powerful personal testament, Senator Dennison revealed his deep familial connections to the telecommunications company, disclosing that his father served as a linesman for BTL—a physically demanding, modestly compensated position that nonetheless supported their family’s education and livelihood.
“My father’s dedication to his work at BTL provided the foundation for our family’s future,” Senator Dennison recounted during an emotional address. “His relentless work ethic—early mornings, late evenings—instilled in me the profound value of labor dignity. To be recognized by his former colleagues as the product of one of their own is profoundly heartfelt.”
When questioned about his advocacy role, the senator characterized his involvement as “the pride of a son” able to advance not just his father’s cause but that of all affected workers. His message to BTL’s board members was unequivocal: cease creating obstacles to payment.
Senator Dennison referenced the Caribbean Court of Justice’s (CCJ) clear ruling that BTL had erred in its historical failure to provide severance payments. He urged the company to acknowledge this judicial determination, recognize the constitutional and statutory rights of employees, and prioritize the “social justice element” affirmed by the region’s highest court. His final directive was emphatic: “Simply find the money and pay these people.”