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Employees of First Caribbean International Bank stage protest

By on October 9, 2015
Protest by FCIB workers

Protest by FCIB workers

Orange Walk Town, Orange Walk. Friday, October 9, 2015. Employees of the CIBC First Caribbean International bank today took the picket lines in Belize City and Orange Walk town.

A statement sent out by the Christian Workers Union which represents the FCIB employees says that the reason for today’s protest is to denounce the way that the bank has approached negotiations regarding an exit package, given that the bank is selling its assets, minus the employees’ services, to Heritage Bank.

The CWU press release says that all decisions taken by the union have been in consultation with the membership and not unilaterally.

CWU says that it was the employees who took a decision to file a notice of industrial action with the Minister of Labour when the bank did not fully respond to the exit proposals submitted.

CWU says that all previously submitted proposals were responded to in full but that after submitting two letters to the bank advising that the Union’s exit proposals were not addressed, the employees became apprehensive, taking actions to protect their position.

CWU says the reality of what is taking place as the date for the finalization of the sale of FCIB assets to Heritage Bank  is that no one is talking about the employees, their families and communities by extension who will be severely impacted by the loss of income even if employment is found within a reasonable time.

CWU ends its press release by noting that FCIB has been shrinking its staff compliment over the past 2 to 3 years in preparation for this sale, they have confirmed that their risk appetite does not support doing business in the Belize market.

The employees have been advised by CIBC FCIB that they will not negotiate if the employees do not remove the notice of industrial action that they previously issued.

CWU says the notice requires 21 days before the employees could take action which has now surpassed.

The employees are within their rights to file the notice which has been acknowledged by the bank however they do not respect this right.

The employees feel that these are all tactics to delay and deprive the staff the ability to meaningfully negotiate a proper exit package and salary increases for hard work already done and continues to be exemplified.

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