LABOUR DAY MESSAGE
from Dr. Senator the Honourable Carla Barnett,
Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour, Local Government and Rural Development
Today, May 1st, 2020, we in Belize join the rest of the world in commemorating International Workers’ Day and applauding the tireless work of our people.
Indeed, in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, saying thank you to all workers has very special meaning, especially for our frontline workers who are providing health care and public health surveillance, as well as other essential service workers at the supermarkets, banks, gas stations, government ministries and agencies, utility companies, and all others who provide you and your loved ones with a needed service.
Since the coronavirus was identified in December 2019, the World Health Organization has advised that as of April 29, 2020, there have been 2,954,222 confirmed cases and 202,597 deaths globally. Here in Belize, we have had 18 confirmed cases and 2 deaths and, even though there have been no new confirmed cases for over a week, we have to remain vigilant and continue to observe the laws and the protocols that are ensuring that we can contain the spread of COVID-19, especially as we prepare for the eventual slow and gradual re-opening of our economy. We must always pay attention to the public health specialists in the Ministry of Health who will continue to monitor and report on developments.
The International Labour Organization has reported that since the outbreak of the coronavirus, there has been and continues to be a drastic reduction in working hours globally to the extent that half of the global workforce is expected to have their livelihoods severely impacted. In Belize, we estimate that approximately half of the work force will be affected in terms of job security. Information so far suggests that unemployment has already doubled and over 20,000 workers in tourism and related businesses have already been laid off or are on the verge of being laid off. Suppliers to tourism have all seen demand for their products and services disappear overnight and, as a result, many workers in agriculture, arts and craft, music and entertainment, other cultural services, and transportation by land, sea and air have also seen their jobs put on hold.
My fellow Belizeans, these public health and economic challenges are enormous, and labour has been affected in unprecedented ways. Many workers have been experiencing major transformations in the way they do their work. Many are working from home, using information and communication technology at a pace and depth they have never had to before. As many more businesses seek to use these technologies directly in the production of goods and services, the working environment will continue to change and transform as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves here in Belize and globally. Many of these new ways of working will stay with us even after the pandemic recedes.
The Ministry of Labour continues to engage and consult with our trade unions, employers and other stakeholders, one-on-one and at a national level, providing the best advice and support that we can. This is critical because all of us are working towards one shared goal, which is to protect all workers, as by doing so we protect families, communities, and by extension, our country.
As the state of emergency moves into a new phase on May 1st, there are some changes in the designation of essential services and approved businesses. But one thing will remain with us: our workers, our employers, and all Belizeans will need to continue to practice physical distancing and good hygiene practices and to heed the advice of the Ministry of Health and the public health agencies.
Employers, we urge you to put in place the necessary “return to work” protocols and procedures to protect your workers and the public as we bring businesses back to life. You will be required to ensure that the necessary physical distancing protocols are in place within your working environments and as your workers increasingly provide services to the public in the weeks ahead. You will be required to ensure that sanitization – washing of hands and cleaning of workspaces – is constant; and that workers are provided with and properly use their masks. We also ask you to remain mindful of the mental and psychosocial health challenges of your employees and seek to provide them with the support needed.
In the Ministry, we are continuing our efforts, as a part of government and with our national and international partners, to bring on stream programmes that will present new job opportunities as well as resources for social support and employment relief programmes for persons both in the formal and informal sectors.
I want to close by extending my personal gratitude to every person and to every organization that has extended a hand of kindness and goodwill to make things better for a worker or neighbour or a member of the community in need during this COVID-19 crisis. It is this spirit of caring for each other, positivity, love and willingness to put all our creative energy to work through the most difficult national crisis, that will ensure that we will see the economy revive, businesses return and new businesses emerge with even greater success and more decent jobs available for our workers.
Happy Labour Day to all and may God continue to bless Belize.
