Portvale strike amps ownership confusion, failed restructuring frustration

Uncertainty over who employs them, and lingering disappointment over a failed plan that once promised them a stake in the sugar industry, have deepened frustration among employees at the Portvale sugar factory, intensifying long-standing claims of mismanagement and neglect in the troubled industry.

UWU General Secretary Caswell Franklyn speaking about the workers’ grievances. (SZB)

Veteran sugar boiler Cedric Eastmond, who has worked at the mill since 1999, said the tensions now playing out reflect deeper problems that have persisted since the sector’s restructuring.  

Speaking to Barbados TODAY on Wednesday during a strike at the Portvale facility operated by the Barbados Energy and Sugar Company Inc. (BESCO), Eastmond said workers still lack clarity about the company responsible for their employment and where their grievances should be directed.  

“That’s the problem. Who’s paying us? If BESCO was a company, we would not be here today. There’s a crop to start. All things will be put in place. Everything will be done, put in place for the workers.”

Workers have repeatedly sought clarity on the company’s structure but have received few answers, he said.  

“We need clarity that there’s a company called BESCO, that we have somebody that we can go to if we have any grievances. We have nobody that we can address. We need to be able to speak to somebody neutral, because we don’t see the appearance of any company called BESCO apart from the uniform and what they’re saying.”  

The uncertainty has compounded disappointment over the collapse of a restructuring plan that once promised workers partial ownership of the industry.  

Under a new model announced in January 2024 by then Minister of Agriculture Indar Weir, the sugar industry was to be reorganised with Co-op Energy holding a 55 per cent majority stake, rehired and former workers receiving 20 per cent ownership, and the government retaining 25 per cent to be sold to Barbadians who had never worked in the industry.  

Two companies were established to run the industry after the winding down of the Barbados Agricultural Management Company. The Agricultural Business Company Ltd took responsibility for agricultural operations at Bulkeley in St George, while BESCO assumed responsibility for milling operations at Portvale.  

But the arrangement collapsed on August 18 2025 when the memorandum of understanding between Co-op Energy and the government was terminated, derailing what had been described as a historic opportunity for worker participation in the ownership of the sector.  

The proposal had initially raised hopes among employees, Eastmond said.   

“In the beginning all the workers felt good because we had a chance that we could be board members, you can sit on the board with me, we would discuss future projects, future progress, future enhancement.  

“The workers were happy because at least for once we were part of what was going on.”  

But the initiative ultimately failed to materialise, he said.  

“That did not materialise because we didn’t see the full solid structure of a company. Nobody came to the workers’ queries. Nobody had any answers. Up to today, nobody has any answers. I am yet to see the representatives of BESCO other than the manager of Portvale factory.”  

Beyond the uncertainty over ownership and governance, Eastmond said workers have also raised concerns about management practices within the factory.  

“There’s more favouritism in here than anything else. The discrimination and victimisation come because the set of management, they’re not professionals.”

He added that workers have repeatedly requested training opportunities and career development programmes.  

“The workers would like a chance to better themselves. I asked on many occasions for a motivational seminar, for opportunities to open for the guys to go to polytechnic.”  

He also criticised the absence of regular staff meetings and clear communication within the organisation.  

“A simple general meeting. We can’t even have a general meeting to bring clarity within the plant as far as the structure is concerned, promotional capabilities, and a lot of things are going on that are hampering the workers’ progress.”  

The veteran boiler said several employment issues remain unresolved, including workers’ contractual arrangements.  

“There’s a lot of issues that need resolving since last year. One, the contracts issue that’s not resolved well. We worked two years with this company without a solid contract and without certification for [food safety protocols],” he said.  

Eastmond also raised operational concerns at the factory which he believes contribute to losses within the industry.  

“For the past six or seven years they receive canes because of capacity. We got the capacity to hold the canes, but the factory is not in readiness to grind these canes and process these canes,” he said.  

“Every day after these cuttings are being stored in the cane yard they’re going to depreciate in value. The purity is going to drop because you can get quick spoilage.”  

The prolonged storage of harvested cane can lead to contamination and production losses.  

“That can create early contamination within the plant. That’s why a lot of losses are incurred, not because we produce badly, but because of spoilage and wastage.”  

Storage limitations for processed sugar also present challenges, he added.  

“We don’t have a marketing system for sale here set up, so the two bonds available are always congested. That’s how a lot of sugar being melted too.”  

Eastmond said that in one instance, production had to be halted entirely because there was nowhere to store the finished product.  

“Last year we started to grind, we started producing, we had to stop for two days because we had nowhere to put the sugar.”  

He said the industry requires stronger technical oversight and maintenance planning if it is to remain viable.  

“We need a consultant, somebody that is ready to appreciate the fact that sugar is the product that goes straight to the table now. We need to bump up the chemistry in this factory,” he said.  

“We got to ramp up maintenance. We got to design a maintenance programme so that we can have a free flow instead of just running hither thither and not correcting anything at all.”

(SZB)