20/11/2023
BELIZE PEOPLE’ FRONT (BPF) COUNTRY REPORT TO EL PARTIDO DEL TRABAJO (PT) MEXICO CITY- OCT, 2023- STATE OF AFFAIRS OF THE BELIZE LABOUR MARKET----PART 4
THE “B L U R” BETWEEN THE “FORMAL” AND “INFORMAL ECONOMY”
There is a threat against DECENT WORK in the “ELEMENTARY OCCUPATIONS”, “SALES”, “SERVICES”, and in the “TOURISM”SECTORS. These sectors have rapidly given cause to (non-standard work—where the PRIORITY IS PROFIT OVER PEOPLE---COMPANY INTERESTS OVER WORKERS’.
Workers in the informal economy experience specific disadvantages of SEVERE DECENT WORK DEFICITS. Informality is predominantly seen among the SELF-EMPLOYED in Belize (60% of all informal employment).
THEY ARE:- NOT RECOGNIZED, REGISTERED, REGULATED, OR PROTECTED UNDER LABOUR LEGISLATION AND SOCIAL PROTECTION.
Belize has NO “LABOUR REFORM”, “NATIONAL LABOUR POLICY”, NOR A “NATIONAL STRATEGY” for working towards SOCIAL SECURITY FOR ALL, and to promote the EXTENSION OF SOCIAL SECURITY.
Such workers are exposed to conditions which make them PRECARIAT and extremely VULNERABLE. The exploitation of labour in Belize is RAPIDLY LEADING TO A RACE TO THE BOTTOM IN TERMS OF WAGES AND WORKING CONDITIONS.
Foreign and local employers are resorting to MORE FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENTS, i.e. SUBCONTRACTING, PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT, TEMPORARY OR CASUAL WORK, even WORKING FROM HOME.
These new forms of employment offer limited security, or none at all, nor any social protection compared with formal or regular employment contracts. There over 190K EMPLOYED persons.
Of this amount, 37.2% or (70,738) persons are in informal employment. There are 10 main occupations in Belize. The ‘ELEMENTARY OCCUPATIONS’ has the greatest share overall, of 33% OF ALL INFORMAL JOBS.
Belize attracts migrant workers (legal and illegal in the informal economy in irregular situations). Since 2021 the majority of migrants was: GUATEMALA 36%, SALVADOR 22%, HONDURAS 14%.
Businesses from mom and pop, micro to large, and even multinationals, and those “fly-by-night” have closed down, merged, rightsized, changed ownership, and even exited the country.
Approximately 41.5% (138,955 of working-age persons) were classified as neither ‘employed’ nor ‘unemployed’ in April 2023. Within this group, 7.3% (10,158 persons), were classified as being part of the POTENTIAL LABOUR FORCE.
Retrenched workers from restructured industries and sectors, and migrants from rural areas find themselves in situations of UNDEREMPLOYMENT and CASUAL LABOUR.
THESE TRENDS FURTHER BLUR THE BORDERLINE OF FORMALITY/INFORMALITY.
There is POVERTY LEADING TO POWERLESSNESS, EXCLUSION AND VULNERABILITY.
MULTIDIMENSIONALLY POOR PERSONS (2021) were 60.3 % in the Toledo District (the highest). The Belize District 20.9% (lowest). In rural areas--47% are poorer than urban areas --23%.
BELIZE’S LABOURFORCE IS BEING MARGINALIZED. DEVALUED, DISENFRANCHISED AND BECOMING THE MODERN PRECARIAT!
