Last night we reported that workers at the Belize Sugar Industries in Orange Walk had declared a strike after they refused management's offer only a 1.5% bonus.
It was a strike, which was supposed to shut down the Tower Hill Factory and send a strong message to BSI less than a month before the close of the season. But nothing goes as planned, as today there was a strike but the boilers were operating and sugar was being processed. Still it was hot and testy on tower hill and first it was Belize Worker's Union versus BSI as the union members rushed the gates to try to shut down the plant. That failed, but later the cane farmers who could not deliver their cane became irate and struck back at both the workers and BSI. And then finally it was the management at BSI who struck back with stinging salvo to the union. 7NEWS was on Tower Hill for all the hurly burly and Keith Swift has the story.
Keith Swift Reporting, [From Tower Hill Sugar Factory in Orange Walk]
From a distance, it was a normal day as the boilers at the Tower Hill Sugar Factory belched smoke into the sky above Orange Walk. And from afar it did look normal, but up on the hill it was a very contentious and volatile day. First to this afternoon where the man behind the drama was Jose Campos: a defiant and angry cane farmer from Corozal who blocked the entrance to the factory because it wasn't working fast enough.
Jose Campos, Irate Cane Farmer
"We are supposed to be able to deliver 6,000 (metric tons of cane sugar) a day: 3,000 from Orange Walk and 3,000 from Corozal. That is what we are supposed to do but now they are only taking 2,000 from us. You see how much cane we have out here waiting? What are we supposed to do with it? That is why we are frustrated. They are only taking 2,000. Then they are also limiting how many trips we can make. If I make a trip today I will have to wait a whole day before they allow me to make another trip. Every two days you have to wait to make a trip and that makes no sense."
The impasse continued for an hour between police, other cane farmers some who wanted him to move and others who didn't, factory workers, and then there was the factory manager Norman Foreman who had nothing to say.
What is BSI going to do about the situation out here? The road is blocked sir…
Norman Foreman, BSI Factory Manager
"I don't talk to the media."
And he really didn't have to say anything because if it came to it, BSI was willing to use this massive and very intimidating Caterpillar brand 'tractorvator' (which is used in the factory) to remove Campos's cane truck. But they didn't have to use it because other cane farmers simply pushed his load out of the way. Predictably he hitched it back on to his tractor and once again blocked the gate only this time he went launched into a rant. He vented on the crowd including supporters and others who were arguing with him. In the middle were Officer Commanding Orange Walk Superintendent Mario Vernon, and his Deputy Walberto Garcia who worked out a compromise.
Jose Campos,
[Shouting] "I give you three days. I am going to move my truck but I give you three days."
Campos moved his load and farmers starting streaming in but the worries inside Tower Hill are far from over because since 5 am this morning the workers have been on a strike. The factory has been operating with a skeleton crew of only 25 workers, which is one-third of what's required.
Senator Rene Gomez, Union President
"What is happening right now is that you see the boilers are lit but it is with a skeleton crew. Managers, staff, and all of them are working. About 20 or the maximum 25 are working and with that skeleton crew they are grinding the little cane and they are trying to receive cane. But how long they are they able to go with that skeleton crew? They can't go more than one day."
And that is why when that 16 hours is up, Gomez and his union hopes to once again shut down the factory. They will do this as they did at the start of the 2 to 10 shift this afternoon when they gathered around the gates as workers arrived. They then encouraged workers to abandon their shift solidarity with the union and it's a tactic which Gomez says work.
Senator Rene Gomez,
[Speaking to union members] "So far we have successfully managed to have no one report to work at 2. So those guys that are in there from 4 this morning or 4:30 and still laboring will get tired. Then we will successfully continue our strike because they can't work longer than that."
And Gomez is leading a union whose bargaining chip in the fight is unity. Unity which should have closed down Tower Hill today. But with the boilers still processing sugar, the message hasn't quite gotten to managers. In a rare television interview, two of BSI's top managers told 7NEWS that despite the strike, the work on Tower Hill would continue.
Alvaro Alpuche, BSI Finance Director
"It won't affect us in terms of production because it is only a delay. As long as farmers are prepared to deliver the cane we are willing to open the gates. The farmers can bring their cane and we are going to mill it. And we are going to mill until the last stick of cane is brought in. So we don't expect it to affect the total tonnage that we can produce."
But the workers went on strike to send a message. Did BSI managers get that message? Will this strike change how BSI deals with its union?
Alvaro Alpuche,
"Not at all. It just has shown that we can still run the business. The business can continue running."
Without the workers?
Alvaro Alpuche,
"Without the workers."
Narciso Avila, BSI Manager for Corporate Administration
"We have responsibilities to the company to manage the place and that is what we will do. We will not be intimidated to abdicate our position. We have big responsibilities to the whole industry and we intend to carry out this responsibility to the end."
Surprising but true, that sentiment from BSI managers is shared by cane farmers. To put it simply, Alfredo Ortega from the Orange Walk Cane Farmer's Associations says now is not the time to strike.
Alfredo Ortega, OW Cane Farmers Association Director
"Frankly this is not the best time for them to do a strike. We as farmers can only talk as a association. Their view is from their fight with BSI so all we have to do is tell them to please inform us promptly and on time when they are going to strike."
And that dissention from the farmers have left the Belize worker's union in a battle for momentum, respect, and credibility from management and farmers. But today as the boilers continued to mill sugar all they held on to was a conviction; a conviction that they are fighting a just cause and they will prevail.
So will the strike continue? Well tonight not even the union knows and they say a final decision will come later tonight or early in the morning. The real test will come at 10 tonight, when the union tries to discourage the 10 pm shift workers form going on duty. By that time, those who have been on since 5:00 am will have been spent and if the new shift cannot come on duty - the factory will be forced to shut down. There are about 10,000 tons of sugar cane left to be delivered and farmers tell us that could take another month.