By Aaron Humes: Former employees of Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) are lifting their voices to demand what they believe is rightfully due theirs. In a press conference held at the Inspiration Center, former workers voiced their frustrations over what they describe as a lack of commitment from their former employer to honor their severance entitlements based on the November 2025 ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
In November, the CCJ ruled that former employees of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) were entitled to severance pay in addition to their pension benefits, provided they met a continuous service requirement of at least 10 years. This landmark ruling has led to former BTL employees, who were not initially part of the lawsuit, to step forward and claim their severance payments.
Prompted by this decision, former BEL employees are now following suit, demanding clarity and action regarding their own severance rights. Dorla Staine, a representative of the Belize Energy Workers for Justice, expressed the urgency of their cause, stating, “We are here because we believe our legal rights, specifically our severance entitlements have not been honored. The issue? Short and clear, at the center of the issue is a fundamental legal principle: severance and pension are separate entitlements under the Labour Act, however, BEL implemented arrangements where pension contributions were treated as being in lieu of severance without clear accounting or transparency. With reference to legal basis, in November 2025 the Caribbean Court of Justice ruled in a similar matter that severance must be paid as a separate statutory right. Pension contributions cannot replace severance, employers must be able to clearly account for what is severance vs pension.”
Sean Nicholas, another representative, shared his personal struggle as the family breadwinner, appealing to new management at BEL for consideration and action regarding their claims. “Not getting my severance put some pressure on me and my family… I am begging and I understand we got a new CEO effective tomorrow, we have a new chairman of the board. I am asking these people to please got some consideration on myself and other employees. I sick around this table with pain and suffering and I am begging you to do workers right,” he lamented.
The post Former BEL employees demand severance payments following CCJ ruling appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Aaron Humes: Former employees of Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) are lifting their voices to demand what they believe is rightfully due theirs. In a press conference held at the Inspiration Center, former workers voiced their frustrations over what they describe as a lack of commitment from their former employer to honor their severance entitlements
The post Former BEL employees demand severance payments following CCJ ruling appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
