分类： society

In a landmark ruling, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has sided with ten former employees of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), affirming their entitlement to severance pay under the Belize Labour Act. This decision overturns a prior ruling by the Belize Court of Appeal and represents a significant advancement for workers’ rights in Belize. The appellants, including Erven Marin, Lorna Longsworth, and eight others, contended that despite receiving pensions, they were still eligible for severance payments upon their retirement from BTL, whether mandatory at age 55 under a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) or voluntary under individual agreements. The CCJ, presided over by Justice Eboe-Osuji, adopted a purposive and social justice approach in interpreting Section 183 of the Labour Act. The Court determined that both mandatory and voluntary retirees qualify for severance, emphasizing that the purpose of severance pay is to alleviate financial hardship after years of service, not to penalize employees for the manner in which their employment concluded. Justice Eboe-Osuji found that BTL failed to demonstrate that severance had been accounted for in its pension plan, which involved equal contributions from employer and employee. The Court stated that under Section 194 of the Labour Act, a pension plan cannot supplant severance obligations unless severance is explicitly included in the benefits. Justice Jamadar further asserted that the Labour Act is ‘social justice legislation’ rooted in constitutional principles and international labour conventions that safeguard workers’ rights. He added that any agreement attempting to waive statutory severance, including CBAs or individual contracts, is void under Section 190 of the Act. The CCJ unanimously upheld the appeal, reinstating the High Court’s ruling that all appellants are entitled to severance payments. The Court ordered that payments be calculated based on the High Court’s formula and awarded costs to the former employees.

In a shocking incident on Wednesday morning, November 5, 2025, two employees of Westrac were robbed at gunpoint while en route to deposit funds at a bank in northern Belize. The event unfolded around 11:00 a.m. on the Belize–Corozal Road in Orange Walk Town, where authorities discovered a GMC Canyon pickup truck abandoned on the roadside. The victims, identified as 33-year-old Arturo Cansino and 44-year-old Artemio Carpiso, recounted being intercepted by two assailants on a dirt bike. The gunmen forcibly seized two bags containing an unspecified sum of cash and cheques. This marks the second high-profile daylight robbery in the region within a week. On October 31, Eric Chi, manager of UNO Gas Station, was similarly targeted outside the company’s premises on the Philip Goldson Highway, with robbers escaping with $50,000. These incidents have raised concerns about public safety and the audacity of criminal activities in the area.

A harrowing incident unfolded in San Antonio Village, northern Belize, on the night of November 4, 2025, when a house fire threatened the life of Calvin Gilharry, the Village Chairman and a renowned Belizean musician. The blaze erupted around 11:00 p.m., engulfing Gilharry’s bedroom as he slept. Awakened by the acrid smell of smoke, Gilharry managed to escape through a window, emerging unscathed. Quick action from family members helped contain the fire, preventing it from spreading further. The cement house, which was uninsured, suffered significant damage, though the exact cost remains undetermined. Authorities have launched an investigation to uncover the cause of the fire, which has left the community in shock and raised concerns about fire safety in rural areas.

A tragic road accident in the Orange Walk District of northern Belize has resulted in the death of a 67-year-old man. The incident occurred on the evening of November 5, 2025, around 6:30 p.m. on the Old Northern Highway in Santa Marta Village. Police arrived at the scene at approximately 6:48 p.m. to find the lifeless body of Julio Flota, a local laborer, lying on the roadside with severe injuries. A Mack dump truck was observed parked about 20 feet away from the body. Initial investigations indicate that the truck driver, 36-year-old Nelson Osman Pech, had briefly parked his vehicle off the road and exited it. Upon returning and driving off, Pech was alerted by his brother to stop. It was then discovered that Pech had accidentally run over Flota. Despite being rushed to the Northern Regional Hospital, Flota was pronounced dead on arrival. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate event.