More Than 100 Corozalenos Left Without A Job
When the People's United Party was voted out of office back in 2008, the country's unemployment rate was at 8%. Under the Dean Barrow Administration unemployment rate has skyrocketed to a whopping 23%. This means that one in four Belizeans who want to work, can't find a job. So, in these hard economical times when Belizeans are given the opportunity to work, it is like manna falling from heaven. At that is why more than one hundred Corozalenos were up in arms this morning. Three weeks ago the men and women were hired by Minister Pablo Marin to work for three months, according to them. After they were hired, they were directed to the Corozal Town Council were they have been reporting to work and collecting their pay. But today when the group presented themselves at the Corozal Town Hall to resume work after the long Christmas Holiday, some of them were informed that they were out of a job while others were told to come back until Tuesday January 3rd. For the hard working men and women the news could not have come at worst time.
Edgell Franklin- Victimized by the U.D.P
"We mi done work two weeks and they told us that we were going to work up to two months and they promised the job and later on now they say we will not work because look like they don't want to pay any holiday pay, and we use to get $140.00 and now we only are getting $125.00, so they cut us the money from it and they don't want to give us any job and also curing the Christmas season they were giving grocery and I went to ask if I have nothing to get and they tell me nada for me and the minister gone give ham and thing and nothing fu we. They tell us that we have to come back next week Tuesday and why we can't continue this week I figure because they don't want to give any holiday pay."
Voice of Man 1- Victimized by the U.D.P
"It is wrong to hire all these people here and at the end of the day they promised them jobs, promised them that they will work for a month or two and after a week or a two weeks the most they start to fire man, now election they close and this is the time that people really need and also people depend on this work actually, so it is the wrong time for them to start to let go people when they really need their support."
Carmelita Perez-Reporter
"How much people they hired at the beginning?"
Voice of Man 1- Victimized by the U.D.P
"One hundred and sixty three and about fifty man done gone or more than that and I don't see the reason why because I mean everybody want to eat bread, they eat ham for Christmas they don't know we eat ramen for Christmas, they suppose to look it over when they want our support they go right at our house."
Voice of Man 2- Victimized by the U.D.P
"We give them no dirty job, we give them clean job if you go by them street at the back you will see some clean job to ground and lower than where you are sitting down and now they tell us to comeback next two to three weeks, by then we done do thing and be in jail, stop play people here are hungry and later on we don't have anything to eat and we have to knock down somebody and take what they have, the man will lock us down beats us up and lock us up in jail all kind thing."
And while residents are claiming that they were hired for three months, when Mayor Hilberto Campos called in to the Love Fm Morning Show today, he said the group was hired for three weeks. But then again, when we hear both sides of the story, the first thing that thing that comes to mind is, can so many people be wrong? Of course we all know that when the U.D.P talks it needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
Voice of Lady- Victimized by the U.D.P
"Listen, we would be satisfied 100% if they make a paper and stick on the door and we could understand that no work they again than to fool the crowd, we done put them in their and the have us sucking our teeth out here, put a paper to notify the people that Pablo put there, now that the money done they want mayor Campos to take over his place that can't be."
According to workers, after speaking to Mayor Campos, instead of getting a concrete answer when it comes to their job, they were filled with lavish promises.
Voice of Man 1- Victimized by the U.D.P
"They come with police and all for make them keep us out from the Town Board and the mayor suppose to come out and explain to everybody the situation but he didn't do that he call the people one by one and he promised this, promise them that, give them lot number, and promise them all kind of thing and at the end of the day them person they promise and give them lot number too, they will still give them no job and that is only a number at the end of the day that will not worth nothing because they are giving out the lease land papers they no do that."
Carmelita Perez-Reporter
"So is it just a way to send them home or disburse from the area?"
Voice of Man 1- Victimized by the U.D.P
"It is just a way to clear the people from the area but at the end of the day they did a silly mistake because then people will not ride with them again, whatever they done do that done do and people are watching that this abstract have to done. So we come to see if we will continue to work because from today we suppose to continue to start all over again but they told us that they can't use everybody again because they don't have the money and they can't hire the people back again and then that is wrong because people have their family."
Workers claim that when they were first hired they were promised a salary of $141.25 per week. That amount was later reduced to $125.00 and then to $123.05 due to Social Security payments. But despite the low rates, all that these men and women want is to work in order to feed their children and family.
Voice of Man 1- Victimized by the U.D.P
"We need the job because what are we going to do for this new year's some will have nothing to eat."
Man 2- Victimized by the U.D.P
"People have their family, people need to eat and now they try to say that if your father is working you can't work and I mean your father has his family and you have your family I think you suppose to at least provide for some rice for them. But for this general election coming up they will not have any power, they will get vote out this time and we will guaranteed of that because we black will make sure they no get a vote from us, but due to the Altamira crew live where the mayor live, all Altamira man get job, how Skelenton Town, San Antonio, Santa Rita, College Road all these people no have a job, only where the mayor live that is where they get the job but everywhere else no get no job."
And while Corozal Bay Area Representative Pablo Marin did arrive in the area, he left a few minutes after without even addressing the crowd. But the same cannot be said for P.U.P Corozal Bay Standard Bearer Gregorio Papas Garcia and P.U.P Mayoral Candidate Anwar Charaf.
Gregorio Papas Garcia- P.U.P Corozal Bay Standard Bearer
"This has been a gimmick from convention time and usually UDP's before election convention time they try to employ people and tell them on a permanent basis or at least a six months basis then when Christmas is done the convention is done and back to normal they lose their job."
Anwar Charaf- P.U.P Mayoral Candidate
"Apparently it is something to do with the two days holidays and that they don't want to pay for the two days but now they are telling people that they don't have no more work and that they can come next week and see what they can do but the people out here really just want to work they are not begging anybody for anything, they want to work and they want to be truthful with them, you know you have to stop fooling the people you tell them there is work and they come to work and that is a problem with this town council that they give promises and they don't keep their promises and so that's why the people are put here and they are very mad because of this."
CTV3 News understands that most of the workers are from the Skeleton Area. And as usual when we tried to get an interview with Mayor Campos we were told that he was out of office and would not be back until tomorrow. Of course we saw him peeping through his office window waiting patiently for CTV3 News to leave the area.
CTV3
AmbergrisCaye.com 
When the People's United Party was voted out of office back in 2008, the country's unemployment rate was at 8%. Under the Dean Barrow Administration unemployment rate has skyrocketed to a whopping 23%. This means that one in four Belizeans who want to work, can't find a job. So, in these hard economical times when Belizeans are given the opportunity to work, it is like manna falling from heaven. At that is why more than one hundred Corozalenos were up in arms this morning. Three weeks ago the men and women were hired by Minister Pablo Marin to work for three months, according to them. After they were hired, they were directed to the Corozal Town Council were they have been reporting to work and collecting their pay. But today when the group presented themselves at the Corozal Town Hall to resume work after the long Christmas Holiday, some of them were informed that they were out of a job while others were told to come back until Tuesday January 3rd. For the hard working men and women the news could not have come at worst time.
