It was near mayhem on Friday at Tower Hill, but Belize Sugar Industries management and their workers have brokered a deal and called a truce in the industrial standoff which crippled production at the sugar factory last week.
Late yesterday both sides agreed to an initial 2% bonus in July, another guaranteed 1% in December with the possibility of an extra 0.75% if BSI revenue exceeds estimates. Belize Workers Union President Senator Rene Gomez told us they called off the strike Saturday afternoon and decided to return to the negotiating table yesterday. As to why they called off the strike? Well Gomez says it was becoming useless after individual workers started to return to work.
So with the stalemate cleared, before they go on vacation next month, the workers will get a 7% bonus which is their normal 5% plus the additional 2% as agreed. Of course the general membership of the union has yet to accept the package, however the union president says that is just a formality.
And while on Friday BSI officials bragged that the strike didn't affect production at Tower Hill, our sources say only 3,000 tons of cane was accepted and not even all of it was processed. On a normal day, 6,500 tons of cane are processed amounting to 650 tons of sugar. So by our math, the strike cut production by at least half.