Portvale grinding to resume after brief strike

The sugar harvest was expected to resume on Friday after being interrupted by a wildcat strike by some workers at the lone sugar mill, Portvale in St James, over a union recognition stalemate.

“We are restarting the crop tomorrow,” an official source who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Barbados TODAY on Thursday.

“Canes will be brought to the factory [Friday],” said the official. “You have to accumulate a certain amount of cane to actually bring up the factory. So, once we receive a certain amount of cane, then we will bring up the factory.

Asked if the dispute was therefore resolved — in which the Unity Workers Union (UWU) is protesting management’s refusal to recognise it as the official bargaining agent for what it claims to be the majority of workers — the official replied: “This isn’t about union recognition.” 

The source declined to elaborate, only adding: “We are simply resuming receiving cane tomorrow.”

Dozens of workers walked off the job on Wednesday over union recognition and working conditions, disrupting the second day of the already‑delayed sugar harvest.

The dispute centres on competing claims over worker representation and allegations of poor working conditions, with the UWU insisting it represents the majority of employees at Portvale, which is managed by the cooperative firm, Barbados Energy and Sugar Company Inc. (BESCO), which recognises the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU).

According to UWU General Secretary Caswell Franklyn, about 50 workers had joined the union and took industrial action in protest at management’s refusal to recognise it.

He said the union applied for recognition on July 26 last year after securing the support of a majority of hourly paid employees but claimed management had ignored repeated correspondence.

In response to the strike, BESCO said about 38 sugar workers had been called off the job by the UWU but insisted the majority of employees remain represented by the BWU.

“Currently the general public should be aware that some 38 sugar workers have been called off the job by the Unity Workers Union,” the company said.

BESCO maintained that the BWU remains the recognised bargaining agent and defended the industry’s compensation model.

“The current compensation model has been the standard in the industry for decades and negotiated with the workers’ representative, the BWU. The company maintains that workers are compensated appropriately for overtime for any work that extends beyond the normal working hours.”

The company insisted that dealing with multiple bargaining agents simultaneously was not standard private‑sector practice and described the strike as unauthorised.

“In these circumstances, the withdrawal of labour by the workers is considered by the company to constitute a wildcat strike,” the statement said.

BESCO warned that workers participating in such action traditionally forfeit pay during the period they remain off the job and urged them to return to work while discussions continue through established industrial‑relations channels.

“The sugar industry has always had a unique model of operation which differs in‑crop and out‑of‑crop, and employee compensation is adjusted to ensure fairness between the two seasons … Any changes to the compensation model should be the subject of negotiation with the recognised union.”

BESCO gave an assurance of its commitment to constructive engagement and willingness to listen to concerns and work towards a fair and orderly resolution within the established industrial relations framework.