It has been four full months since arbitration talks between the Port of Belize and its stevedore workforce collapsed, and efforts to finalize a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) are still stuck in gridlock, despite public pledges from Belize’s government to restart productive negotiations. The breakdown traces back to March, when the Essential Services Arbitration Tribunal proceedings were brought to a sudden, premature end after more than a year of deliberations. The Christian Workers Union, which represents the stevedores, rejected a modified confidentiality agreement, walking away from the tribunal and leaving the CBA process in limbo.
In the months following the arbitration collapse, the Port of Belize has transitioned to government oversight. But union leaders say that even with this shift in control, workers have not received any formal invitation to resume negotiations on a new CBA.
Bruce Diaz, the chief union representative for the stevedores, noted that workers have held off on taking drastic industrial action to keep the port operational, but warned that prolonged inaction from the government and port leadership could trigger cascading disruptions across Belize’s entire economy. Diaz highlighted the grueling, unsung work that stevedores perform to keep supply chains moving: “We need to get this CBA signed. The stevedores work night and day in the rain while the big executives and all the directors are sleeping comfortably in their beds. We are the ones out in bad weather keeping operations moving. We keep Belize’s economy flowing.”
Diaz spelled out the direct risks that a port shutdown would create for ordinary Belizean residents: “If the Port of Belize is not functioning, basic goods like noodles, chicken sausage, and all the everyday items communities rely on will not arrive. That will immediately push prices up for everyone across the country.”
Despite the mounting frustration, Diaz emphasized that workers are committed to waiting for good-faith negotiations before taking disruptive action. “When the stevedores pull the plug, the entire Belizean people feel the impact. We do not want to pull the plug. That is why we are continuing to bear this patience,” he said. Now, four months after the government promised workers a seat at the negotiating table, stevedores are still waiting for officials to follow through on their commitment – before workers’ patience runs out entirely.