As the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) prepares to mark six decades of advancing workers’ rights across the nation, the leading labor organization is turning to film to preserve its legacy and inspire future advocates. For 60 years, NTUCB has stood at the forefront of labor movements in Belize, driving critical reforms to national labor policy, pushing for improved workplace conditions, and amplifying the voices of working people across every region of the country. To honor this milestone, the group has commissioned a full-length documentary chronicling the organization’s most defining moments, hard-won victories, and persistent challenges that have shaped the trajectory of modern Belize.
NTUCB President Ella Waight shared details of the upcoming celebratory screenings, scheduled to take place across two major Belizean cities in mid-July. The first public premiere will be held on July 18 at the Inspiration Center in Belize City, running from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. A second public screening will follow a week later on July 25 at the University of Belize Auditorium in Dangriga, opening at 3:00 p.m. to accommodate attendees from Dangriga and its surrounding communities.
Waight explained that the documentary project required extensive archival work to capture 60 years of organizational history, even as gaps in surviving records created challenges for the production team. “We did our best to ensure that we encompass the major events that NTUCB took a part in, and that led certain events that became a part of history in this country,” Waight said. The film features extensive, in-depth interviews with key figures connected to NTUCB’s work, including former Belizean prime ministers and veteran retired trade union leaders, whose insights add personal context to the organization’s decades of advocacy. Originally planned as a tight 40-minute production, the documentary has expanded in length as producers worked to fit six decades of history into the narrative, a reflection of the depth of the organization’s impact on Belizean society.
For NTUCB, the documentary launch is more than a retrospective: it is both a celebration of the organization’s enduring legacy and a strategic effort to ignite passion for labor advocacy among a new generation of workers. Organizers have extended an open invitation to all members of the public, encouraging Belizeans interested in learning about NTUCB’s decades of achievements to attend the screenings and support the organization’s 60th anniversary initiative. This report is adapted from a transcript of an original evening television broadcast.